Heine chose Lutheran conversion precisely because it demanded no actual belief

Evidence

Heine’s aphorism meant that to be taken seriously in Europe as a Jew, it was necessary to barter with what was then considered one of the most important elements of one’s inner self: one’s religious beliefs. That Heine was well aware of this is shown by the fact that, like other Jewish converts, he tried to circumvent the problem by deliberately choosing conversion to the Lutheran state religion, which did not require him to attest to one’s beliefs in the dogmas of Christianity. Later, Heine could therefore argue that his Christianity meant nothing more than the mere fact that he was ‘parading as an Evangelical Christ in a Lutheran Church book’ and was of no consequence to his writing. Still Heine came to regret and feel shame for his decision, suffering the insincerity of his conversion in spite of this way out. — James Renton, Ben Gidley (eds.), Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe, 1656

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to my earlier notes on sumptuary and identity-based accommodations — the minimal-cost compliance strategy in Heine’s Lutheran conversion mirrors the minimal-rebellion theory of dress codes in ‘Complaints About Immodesty Go Way Back’.