Az izmusok és a konspirációs elméletek mindig érdekesek. A frankizmus pedig különösképpen megmozgatja a fantáziánkat: megalapítója, a lengyel Jakob Frank elõbb elmerült az orosz romantika világmegváltó szcénájában, majd zsidóként visszatért Lengyelorszába, ahol követõivel együtt 1759-ben kikeresztelkedett, “hogy megerõsítse Isten és Izrael szövetségét, és siettesse az emberiség megváltását”. A mai egész Kabbalah Center sztori is csak egy utórezgés.

November 22-én (kedden) Pawel Maciejko fog elõadást tartani a témáról a CEU-ban, minden bizonnyal érdekes lesz:

Drawing upon Jewish, Christian, and internal Frankist sources, I shall analyse the gradual crystallisation of Frankism as a distinct phenomenon and interpret the movement as a product of overlapping interests of the Roman-Catholic clergy and the rabbinate. The majority of Gentile observers saw the converted Frankists as Jews (contemporary reports usually use the term “neophytes” and emphasise Jewish aspects of their conduct, dress or manner of speaking). Jewish opponents of Frankism perceived the movement first as a Jewish heresy that could be suppressed by the rabbinate. After the expansion of the movement they were forced to confront Frankism as a new religion. In turn Jewish reformers thought of the movement as of an interesting, if miscarried, attempt to bring an end to the power of the rabbis. Both Jewish and Christian authorities put forward various analogies regarding their legal status, the most interesting being the Karaites (from this perspective the Frankists would be Jews exempt from the authority of Jewish autonomous legal and administrative bodies) and the Uniats (Frankism would be a kind of a Jewish rite within Roman Catholicism). The Frankists thought of themselves as branch of Judaism opposed to the rabbinic tradition. Finally, various Christian sects and denominations tried to find for the Frankists a place within their respective visions of history and redemption. I intend to juxtapose different contemporary accounts of Frankism interpreting the movement as a product of contradictory interests and commitments of various religious and social groups.

How Rabbis and Priests Created the Frankist Movement
Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m.
CEU, Gellner room, Monument Building