If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift, why not take out a subscription to BBC History magazine for just $34.99?

That's a saving of over 50% on the shop price.

A subscription is a present that can be enjoyed all year round and every issue will be delivered direct to their door.

To take advantage of this fantastic offer, visit our official online store at buysubstructions.com forward slash history2020.

If you're based in the US or Canada, you can subscribe for just $55.

To find out more and for all of the countries, head to buysubstructions.com forward slash history2020.

Hello and welcome to the History Extra Podcast from BBC History magazine, Britain's Best Selling History magazine.

I'm Ellie Cordorn.

The reformation of the 16th century is one of the defining events in Christian history, but it also had a profound effect on the lives of Europe's Jews and their relations with their Christian neighbours.

This is the subject explored by the historian Kenneth Austin of the University of Bristol in his new book The Jews and the Reformation and he spoke to BBC History magazine editor Rob Attar.

Kenneth, considering that the Reformation was essentially an internal Christian event, why do you feel that it's very important to consider the Jewish dimension?

It's a good question. I think there's two main reasons.

I think the first thing is that actually the Jewish presence in Europe is significant.

You're right, there are relatively small groups, but they still constitute maybe something like 1% of the population, so they are a substantial religious minority within that Christian context.

I think equally thinking about Jews, Jewish presence in Europe in the Reformation also then tells us quite a lot about what mattered to the Christian majority as well.

So, let's talk about the Jewish presence, how Christians look towards Jews of the Bible, Jewish language and culture, the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, all of these things allow us to understand better what is going on in the minds of the Christians during the Reformation era.

Prior to the Reformation, how would you describe relations between the Christian and Jewish communities in Europe?

I think that the very least, I think, on the one hand, there is an enthusiasm, a positive dimension towards Jews, various places, it explains why Jews are invited into large parts of the continent, gradually through the Middle Ages going from the southern fringes of Europe,

and then they are invited into northern Europe, invited in by political leaders, often who see in the Jews an opportunity to modernize their economies, famously maybe stereotypically, Jews often hold the role of money lenders in society but act as tax collectors as well.

Those roles that they pursue allow economies in Europe to develop, and especially in the early stages and when those Christian societies are seeing relatively small numbers of Jews, it's quite straightforward to have that Jews there, as their numbers grow, there becomes maybe slightly greater tensions.

But those only really start to become apparent in the 13th century, and indeed, I think, one of the things I'll probably try and say about the medieval period is the extent to which actually good relations are more the norm, I think, sort of the historical record, and certain is that the impression that one has is of constant conflict,

animosity, and so on, but actually through most of the period, and in most communities, relations are relatively harmonious.

...