When Is Philology Made Jewish? The Example of Erich Auerbach, Part 1

The first part of an examination of Erich Auerbach’s philological method in connection with his Jewish background. The article takes issue with quite recent Christianizing approaches to Auerbach, including those that attempt to demonstrate how Catholic and Protestant theology influenced his writings, in particular that of Rudolf Bultmann, his contemporary at Marburg. Philology made Jewish names a style and approach to literary history that counters antisemitism and anti-Judaism. Auerbach is an exemplary figure but hardly unique. The article is a first step towards a larger project about the modern extensions of philology beyond its conventional academic uses—philology in dark times, philology in exile.