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Chapter 29 - Polemics

from Part III - Spiritual and Intellectual History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2018

Robert Chazan
Affiliation:
New York University
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Summary

This chapter contains an overview of the sources which are used to write a history of Jewish spiritual and intellectual accomplishments in the Christian Middle Ages. The subjects covered are: Bible and commentaries; Talmud and law, including exegesis, codes, monographs and responsa; theology, including philosophy and mysticism; liturgy and poetry; interreligious polemic; science and medicine; chronicles; and translations. These literary sources were written across medieval Europe from Iberia to Germany to Italy and represent the varied faces of Jewish culture. This short survey indicates that many factors went into the making of this intellectual heritage, both external and internal, and it is because of these many factors that that heritage is so multifaceted and diverse. Preservation of these Jewish intellectual accomplishments has been difficult in the modern era because of Jewish assimilation and acculturation to the wider society, including secularization. Nevertheless, modern Judaism has emerged out of medieval Judaism, so many of these works are still studied and remain sources of inspiration.
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2018

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  • Polemics
  • Edited by Robert Chazan, New York University
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Online publication: 01 October 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139048880.030
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  • Polemics
  • Edited by Robert Chazan, New York University
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Online publication: 01 October 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139048880.030
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Polemics
  • Edited by Robert Chazan, New York University
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Online publication: 01 October 2018
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139048880.030
Available formats
×