Apostasy and Jewish identity in high Middle Ages Northern Europe: 'Are you still my brother?'
Goldin Simha
Abstract
In this study, the various aspects of the way the Jews regarded themselves in the context of the lapse into another religion will be researched fully for the first time. We will attempt to understand whether they regarded the issue of conversion with self-confidence or with suspicion, whether their attitude was based on a clear theological position or on doubt and the coping with the problem as part of the process of socialization will be fully analysed. In this way, we will better understand how the Jews saw their own identity whilst living as a minority among the Christian majority, whose ow ... More
In this study, the various aspects of the way the Jews regarded themselves in the context of the lapse into another religion will be researched fully for the first time. We will attempt to understand whether they regarded the issue of conversion with self-confidence or with suspicion, whether their attitude was based on a clear theological position or on doubt and the coping with the problem as part of the process of socialization will be fully analysed. In this way, we will better understand how the Jews saw their own identity whilst living as a minority among the Christian majority, whose own self-confidence was constantly becoming stronger from the 10th to the 14th century until they eventually ousted the Jews completely from the places they lived in, England, France and large parts of Germany. This aspect of Jewish self-identification, written by a person who converted to Christianity, can help clarify a number of issues discussed by historians at the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Era.
Keywords:
Judaism,
Jewish Identity,
Apostasy,
Middle ages,
Conversion,
Self-identification
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2014 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780719095771 |
| Published to Manchester Scholarship Online: May 2015 |
DOI:10.7228/manchester/9780719095771.001.0001 |
