SPIRITUAL & RACIAL CONCEPTS IN HIS MUSIC 8-9SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 10s The thoughts and ideas of Richard Wagner, in relation to antisemitism and Christianity, are linked not only to the social atmosphere he grew up in, but also to the writers and dramatists of that era whose works influenced and inspired many of his own. … (Aberbach, 214)The possibility of Jewish ancestry in Wagner’s background (through Geyer), although never confirmed, has created debates on his attitude on the subject.