New (and Old) Research on Johann Sebastian Bach and Tolerance

Abstract: Scholarship has long been at odds about whether Bach and his music are conservative or liberal, religious or universal. A recent essay and book by Ruth Tatlow have now put forward a novel assessment, one in which Bach and his music are particularly and deeply Christian but are also broadly liberal and inclusive in their attitudes toward all humanity. In Tatlow's investigations—aimed against what she characterizes as "hardline views" in the Bach literature—she has submitted, via renderings of selected excerpts from the writings of August Pfeiffer (a significant and well-represented author in Bach's extensive personal library of devotional books on religion, theology, and the Bible), what she reports to be the discovery of a historically informed "Bach theology" that is kindly toward Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and others. Her investigations have accordingly depicted Bach's church cantatas and other music as promoting a gentle, kindly, and inclusive theology. The present article delves in detail into how the evidence presented in Tatlow's work is marked by incautious or mistaken citing and translating of historical sources. In addition, this article lays out how Tatlow has not taken notice that Pfeiffer retained Lutheranism's foundational distinctions between "natural" and "salvational" knowledge of God, and between "universal" and "salvational" grace; nor that Pfeiffer wrote specifically and harshly against an inclusive view of salvation; nor that Bach in his private readings of scripture highlighted commentary glosses in favor of an exclusive view of salvation; nor that Bach's community is documented as having been exclusivist; nor that Pfeiffer and Bach both wrote clearly disdainful sentiments about Jews and others; nor that Pfeiffer and the other theologians cited from Bach's personal library spoke of Jews as eternally damned and also wrote disapprovingly and harshly on the matter of their being permitted to live among Christians. Similar problems surface in Tatlow's assessments of the Bach repertory. I argue that, contrary to what her book maintains, Bach's cantata Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort BWV 126 is not a lesson in broad unity and peace, and likewise that this cantata does not convey an inclusive understanding of God's grace and love to people from all nations and races; rather, its powerful words and forceful musical setting articulate prayers for unity within God's (Lutheran) church, and for God to heap deadly vengeance upon the enemies of Lutheranism, here "the Pope and Turk." The cantata Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats BWV 42, similarly, articulates ungentle and unkindly sentiments about those it identifies as the church's metaphorical and actual enemies, here "the Jews."