Gnostic Anxieties: Jewish Intellectuals and Weimar Neo‐Marcionism

In the wake of World War I and Imperial Germany’s ignominious defeat, a “neo‐gnostic spirit” swept through the intellectual landscape of the fledgling Weimar Republic, threatening to undermine its commitment to liberal democracy. Jews were particularly alarmed by what they perceived to be the political implications of the burgeoning fascination with Gnosticism.