Apostasy and Jewish identity in High Middle Ages Northern Europe, 'Are you still my brother?'

Author

Goldin; Simha

Year

2014

Publisher

Manchester University Press

Language

English

Pages

Link

Last Update

26-Mar-2026

Keywords

History

Description

In a society defined by religion, the attitude towards those who leave it or who wish to join it is one of the fundamentals of self-definition. The attitude of Jews in the Christian world of the Middle Ages towards those Jews who converted to Christianity, or to Christians who sought to join the Jewish religion, reflects the central characteristics of Jewish self-definition as a unique, monotheistic group, chosen by God, which sees itself as fulfilling a particular task in the world.¹ In the present study, we shall examine various aspects of Jewish self-understanding in the context of conversion to another...