Language:
English
Year of publication:
2016
Titel der Quelle:
Medieval Encounters; Jewish, Christian and Muslim Culture in Confluence and Dialogue
Angaben zur Quelle:
22,1-3 (2016) 140-164
Keywords:
Duran, Profiat,
;
Judaism Relations 14th century
;
Christianity
;
Christianity and other religions Judaism 14th century
;
History
;
Crypto-Jews
;
Jewish philosophy History To 1500
;
Polemics
Abstract:
This study of the Hebrew treatise "Kelimat ha-Goyim" (“Shame of the Gentiles,”1397) by Profiat Duran exemplifies the stimulating impact medieval religious polemics exerted on the scholarly construction of Christian religious history. Besides explaining Jesus in his Jewish context, this Catalan author outlined in detail the emergence of the fundamental Christian dogmas during the apostolic, patristic, and medieval age and searched for the driving forces behind long-term religious transformation. While a common view holds that Duran’s method of New Testament study mirrored thirteenth-century Christian Talmudism, I underscore his originality as a historian of religion, whose clandestinely transmitted text inspired early modern and nineteenth century attempts at critical scholarship. Duran’s proper context is the contemporary converso problem. A comparison with a Spanish Renaissance text, the "Diálogos en Marruecos," strongly suggests that his historical representation of ex-Jews turned into Christian leaders not only addressed conversos, but actually meant to caricature them.
DOI:
10.1163/15700674-12342219
URL:
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