<i>Living Together, Living Apart: Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages</i> (review)
S. N. Lamm
Reviewed by: Living Together, Apart: Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages Sarah Lamm Ages, by Jonathan Elukin. Princeton University Press, 2007. 193 pp. $24.95. With Apart, Elukin sets out to address one of most important yet least studied conundrums field relations Ages. "How," asks, "did Jewish communities continue survive Europe despite facing what seemed be endless persecution, violence, and expulsion?" (p. 1). Arguing that focus has for too long been on suffering at hands R. I. Moore's "persecuting society," restore balance, providing a survey their peaceful settled. In first three chapters, searches medieval from late antiquity through thirteenth century examples Christian-Jewish coexistence. Chapter One, covering early compares fate Jews 5th-century Minorca, Gregory Tour's account Merovingian Gaul, Great's impressions Italy turn 7th century, legislation Visigothic Spain. Two explores how development separate religious secular identities Carolingian empire acted as buffer between Church-sanctioned violence everyday lives Jews, before exploring fierce local loyalty trumped difference after breakup united power. A quick look north, close relationship some [End Page 142] German rulers, concludes chapter. Chapters Three Four explore High The former focuses cultural intellectual integration made possible Hebraism swept academic during twelfth-century renaissance, well increasingly accessible experience conversion, while latter social connections led Christians shelter neighbors times crisis. writes non-specialist audience—the book is response questions his undergraduate classrooms—and work provides good general exactly Europe's survived, indeed thrived, violent pogroms persecutions. final two takes more thematic approach subject, reassessing impact "violence" "expulsion" attitude outlook Jews. seeks downplay severity both. anti-Jewish polemic, including tales ritual murder blood libel, held up prime anti-Judaism, he claims, "probably circulated only among literate clerical elite" 94). Violence was usually form "unexpected outbursts" 99) instigated "the occasional radicalized friar" 94), "quirks religiosity individual rulers or clerics" 96), maverick monks "with particular animus toward Jews" 103). According expulsions, too, were result "individual moments crisis" 117) "royal prejudices" 118) rather than concerted program sponsored either church state. Instead viewing these events frightening insurmountable obstacles, confidently maneuvered complex political relationships thrive. with call expand our current understanding Spanish convivencia include "ongoing habits pragmatic tolerance" 138) believes best characterize across Europe. It last chapters I take issue Elukin's arguments. sheer number "radicalized" leaders whose fervor directed against becomes impossible explain without sort systematic so staunchly denies. By whom men women radicalized? And why many, lay alike, primed frustrations, whatever trigger, populations? No mention made, amongst talk sheltered Christian neighbors, those who saw Kiddush ha-Shem escape violence. question asks is...
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