Surprise Castle
The Intellectual History and Rabbinic Culture of Medieval Ashkenaz

The Intellectual History and Rabbinic Culture of Medieval Ashkenaz - Hardcover

$71.99
Quantity
01

Pay over time for orders over $35.00 with

Availability:In StockContributor:Ephraim KanarfogelPublish date:2012-12-17Pages:600
Language:EnglishPublisher:Wayne State University PressISBN-13:9780814330241ISBN-10:081433024XUPC:9780814330241Book Category:History, ReligionBook Subcategory:Jewish, Judaism, EuropeBook Topic:History, MedievalAward:2013 National Jewish Book Award Finalist - Scholarship AwardSize:9.10 x 6.30 x 1.70 inchesWeight:2.2531Product ID:SCG3FPF4HJ

Examines the intellectual proclivities of twelfth- and thirteenth-century Ashkenazic rabbinic culture as a whole.

In The Intellectual History and Rabbinic Culture of Medieval Ashkenaz, author Ephraim Kanarfogel challenges the dominant perception that medieval Ashkenazic rabbinic scholarship was lacking in intellectualism or broad scholarly interests. While cultural interaction between Jews and Christians in western Europe was less than that of Sephardic Jews, Kanarfogel's study shows that the intellectual interests of Ashkenazic rabbinic figures were much broader than Talmudic studies alone.

Kanarfogel begins by highlighting several factors that have contributed to relatively narrow perceptions of Ashkenazic rabbinic culture and argues that the Tosafists, and Ashkenazic rabbinic scholarship more generally, advocated a wide definition of the truths that could be discovered through Torah study. He explores differences in talmudic and halakhic studies between the Tosafist centers of northern France and Germany, delves into aspects of biblical interpretation in each region, and identifies important Tosafists and rabbinic figures. Kanarfogel also examines the composition of liturgical poetry (piyyut) by Tosafists, interest in forms of (white) magic and mysticism on the part of a number of northern French Tosafists, and a spectrum of views on the question of anthropomorphism and messianism.

Overall, Kanarfogel demonstrates that the approach taken by Tosafists was broader, more open, and more multi-disciplinary than previously considered. Medieval and Jewish history scholars will appreciate Kanarfogel's volume, which is the culmination of several decades of research on the subject.

Language:EnglishPublisher:Wayne State University PressISBN-13:9780814330241ISBN-10:081433024XUPC:9780814330241Book Category:History, ReligionBook Subcategory:Jewish, Judaism, EuropeBook Topic:History, MedievalAward:2013 National Jewish Book Award Finalist - Scholarship AwardSize:9.10 x 6.30 x 1.70 inchesWeight:2.2531Product ID:SCG3FPF4HJ

Ephraim Kanarfogel is the E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature, and Law at Yeshiva University. Among his many publications are the award-winning books Jewish Education and Society in the High Middle Ages (Wayne State University Press, 1992), and "Peering through the Lattices" Mystical, Magical, and Pietistic Dimensions in the Tosafist Period (Wayne State University Press, 2000).


Publisher: Wayne State University Press

Awards

🏆 2013 National Jewish Book Award Finalist - Scholarship Award

Free shipping on orders over $75. Standard shipping takes 3-7 business days. Returns accepted within 30 days of purchase.

Recently Viewed

View All