1In the wake of the French Revolution, European Jews began a long process of return to the European stage, after having continually lived an essentially medieval existence. The challenges of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Western culture generated and highlighted many discontinuities between the medieval Jewish experience and the realities of contemporary life (e.g. religious continuity and political emancipation). This prompted the radical recasting of the Jewish Middle Ages by both academics and rabbis, the impact of which is still felt today, both within the Jewish community and in historical research. This paper presents two examples of such recasting. The first, from eleventh-century Franco-Germany (Classical Ashkenaz), deals with a somewhat arcane legal controversy surrounding the ritual permissibility of an animal (PlugtatHa-Re’ah). The second, from Quattrocento Northern Italy, addresses the parameters of Jewish uniqueness in modes of dress vis-à-vis those prevalent among Christians. Many contemporary historians interpreted the lenient opinions offered (i.e. allowing consumption of the mooted meat or dressing in an identical fashion to Christians) as evidence of conscious rabbinic adaptation of Rabbinic legal tradition to the exigencies of changing times, and the desires of the individual rabbi (or Jew). A minority of scholars (myself among them), however, object to such an interpretation. They argue that a purely functionalist interpretation of the Jewish legal process ignores the worldview and perception of reality that informed the decisions of Pre-Modern rabbis, especially their faith commitment. When these are taken into consideration, these legal controversies emerge as highly nuanced struggles between the demands of sacred lore and the pressures of contemporary life, wherein both sides must receive adequate and respectful attention.
Vous pouvez suggérer à votre bibliothèque/établissement d’acquérir un ou plusieurs livres publié(s) sur OpenEdition Books. N'hésitez pas à lui indiquer nos coordonnées : OpenEdition - Service Freemium access@openedition.org 22 rue John Maynard Keynes Bat. C - 13013 Marseille France
Vous pouvez également nous indiquer à l'aide du formulaire suivant les coordonnées de votre institution ou de votre bibliothèque afin que nous les contactions pour leur suggérer l’achat de ce livre.
Merci, nous transmettrons rapidement votre demande à votre bibliothèque.
WOOLF, Jeffrey R. 4) Contemporary agendas and medieval Jewish studies In : Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme [en ligne]. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome, 2021 (généré le 29 mars 2023). Disponible sur Internet : <http://books.openedition.org/efr/27792>. ISBN : 9782728314942. DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/books.efr.27792.
Woolf, J. R. 2021. 4) Contemporary agendas and medieval Jewish studies. In di Carpegna Falconieri, T., Savy, P., & Yawn, L. (Eds.), Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome. doi :10.4000/books.efr.27792
Woolf, Jeffrey R. “4) Contemporary agendas and medieval Jewish studies”. di Carpegna Falconieri, Tommaso, et al.. Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome, 2021. Web. <http://books.openedition.org/efr/27792>.
DI CARPEGNA FALCONIERI, Tommaso (dir.) ; SAVY, Pierre (dir.) ; et YAWN, Lila (dir.). Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme. Nouvelle édition [en ligne]. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome, 2021 (généré le 29 mars 2023). Disponible sur Internet : <http://books.openedition.org/efr/18397>. ISBN : 9782728314942. DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/books.efr.18397.
di Carpegna Falconieri, T., Savy, P., & Yawn, L. (Eds.) 2021. Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome. doi :10.4000/books.efr.18397
di Carpegna Falconieri, Tommaso, et al., ed. Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism : Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme. Rome : Publications de l’École française de Rome, 2021. Web. <http://books.openedition.org/efr/18397>.
Compatible avec Zotero
Middle Ages without borders: a conversation on medievalism
Medioevo senza frontiere : una conversazione sul medievalismo / Moyen Âge sans frontières : conversation sur le médiévalisme
Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri, Pierre Savy et Lila Yawn (dir.)
…
4) Contemporary agendas and medieval Jewish studies