Books
The Therapized Antisemite: The Myth of Psychology and the Evasion of Responsibility (De Gruyter, 2024)
The Therapized Antisemite seeks to determine the failure of psychology in the understanding and punishment of antisemitism.
For over a hundred years, psychology’s vision - understanding the mind and conquering feelings with thoughts – has remained a myth in much of Western societies. Despite its theories and concepts being widely criticized and often proven wrong, it remains part of our culture, academia, and legal systems. Instead of hoping for the field of psychology to one day solve the problem of antisemitism and how to punish it, we must ask ourselves how much it has not helped but rather harmed the fight against it. Through exploring social, clinical, and forensic psychology, as well as psychohistory and the intrusion of psychology into criminal law and policymaking, The Therapized Antisemite argues that we don’t yet understand what causes antisemitism in psychological terms, let alone how to go about solving the problem. The Holocaust, the Nuremberg Trials, Hitler Biographies, the Halimi murder, Hate Crime, Mental Illness, False Memory, and Criminal Profiling are all discussed within the book.
‘Once in a time, there has to be ‘that book’, which calls the established narratives within a certain field into question. Written in a very lucid, thought-provoking language, and a ‘no-nonsense’ style, it opens up a debate that we were supposed to be having decades ago. Christopher L. Schilling is the kind of author you will feel honored to argue with in this debate. ‘
— Zbyněk Tarant, University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic
‘Christopher Schilling has written one of those very valuable ‘the emperor is wearing no clothes’ books. His The Therapized Antisemite aims at the absurd claims made by some psychologists that they have found the roots of antisemitism in the dark recesses of people's minds – recesses they know how to probe and illuminate. The book casts doubt not only on the current efforts at explaining antisemitism, but on psychology going back to its beginning. Skeptics will find much to savor in this book.’
— George Leef, Director of External Relations, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, North Carolina
‘Chris Schilling's study provides important insight into the relationship between implementers of the Shoah and underlying patterns of severe psychological disturbance. This volume is important for those wishing to understand the psychological deformities which enabled the murderers to pursue their grisly task.’
— Alan L. Berger, Raddock Family Eminent Scholar Chair in Holocaust Studies; Director, Center for the Study of Values and Violence after Auschwitz, Florida Atlantic University
The Japanese Talmud: Antisemtism in East Asia (Hurst, 2023)
The image of Jews in East Asia is a strange mixture of opposites, a paradoxical blend of admiration and mockery, identification and denial. This book explores what ‘Jew’ means to many East Asians, and whether it is anything that Jewish people themselves would recognise. There is clearly a positive fascination: various bestsellers entitled Talmud are found in vending machines and public schools, while private ‘Jewish education’ institutions have opened across South Korea, claiming to improve children’s IQ. People can stay at the Talmud Business Hotel in Taiwan, or attend Chinese centres for Jewish Studies with academics who have never met a Jew. There is a legend that Japanese people are a Lost Tribe of Israel, and ‘Anne’s day’, named after Anne Frank, is a euphemism for menstruation. Yet the region also shows some of the world’s highest rates of antisemitism, manifesting in disturbing ways: Taiwan’s concentration camp-themed restaurant, or South Korea’s ‘Adolf Hitler Techno Bar & Cocktail Show’. By integrating scholarship on antisemitism, East Asian Studies and cognitive science, Schilling uncovers antisemitism’s global, sometimes dualistic nature; not Western, and always persistent. He offers ground-breaking insight, redefining how we understand East Asia, antisemitism, and Judaism as a globalised religion.
‘Truly insightful and thought-provoking. Tracing the origin and rise of the Talmud publications vogue in East Asia, this is a critical and novel analysis of contemporary attitudes toward Jews.’
— Rotem Kowner, Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Haifa, and editor of Jewish Communities in Modern Asia
‘This wonderful, ground-breaking book uses a combination of case studies, theorising and cognitive science to investigate antisemitism’s co-existence with philosemitism in East Asian culture. Every serious scholar of antisemitism needs to read this original and important contribution to the literature.’
— Lesley Klaff, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism
‘An important study not only of the East Asian manifestations of antisemitism and philosemitism, but also, especially via his notions of bisemitism and antisemitism as storytelling, perspectives that every student of antisemitism needs to at least consider. A useful contribution to combatting antisemitism.’
— Paul Hedges, Associate Professor in Interreligious Studies, Nanyang Technological University
‘thought provoking…highly original and interesting book…adds much to our knowledge of the topic as well as providing new insights and new ways in which to approach the problem of anti-Semitism not only in East Asia but in the rest of the world as well.’
— Asian Journal of Social Science
‘recommended for Judaica collections and public, synagogue, or academic libraries.’
— Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews
Zen Judaism: The Case Against a Contemporary American Phenomenon (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021)
Contemporary Judaism is transforming, especially in America, from a community experience to more of a do-it-yourself religion focused on the individual self. In this book Christopher L. Schilling offers a critique of this transformation. Schilling discusses problematic aspects of Jewish mindfulness meditation, and the relationship between Judaism and psychedelics, proceeding to explore the science behind these developments and the implications they have for Judaism.
Emotional State Theory: Friendship and Fear in Israeli Foreign Policy (Lexington Books, 2014)
“Schilling’s theory of Israel’s emotional state is credible. It is backed by psychological and political evidence, and his research and explanations are very thorough. Schilling’s writing is exemplary. The book is easy to read, and his framework is easy to follow...”, International Social Science Review
”Schilling’s research does contain insights that provide food for thought on some of the undercurrents affecting Israel’s foreign policy… Insofar as critical introspection is valuable for any state wishing to advance, refine, and calibrate its foreign policy to align optimally with its national interests, the points raised by Schilling’s exercise in ‘emotional therapy’ are useful and thought provoking…” Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs