:Living Together, Living Apart: Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages.(Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Ancient to the Modern World.)
Norman Roth
The thesis of this book is an important one and not as obvious it may appear: that the Jewish experience Middle Ages was unrelieved persecution intolerance. Indeed, Salo Baron, dean historians, long ago decried what he famously termed “lachrymose conception history,” yet many historians have continued to maintain distorted view. In well-phrased statement Jonathan Elukin, “seeing medieval Europe a persecuting society obscures complexities reduces one-dimensional narrative victimization” (p. 4). There are reasons for such distortion in modern writing, which ought be subject itself. Elukin attempts rectify picture through re-examination Jewish-Christian relations (essentially Germany France, with only occasional references England, Italy, or Spain). first chapter, dealing early period (the fifth century onward), some respects weakest, perhaps due difficulty trying encompass entire fewer than 200 pages. Some scholarship neglected; example, although my Jews, Visigoths Muslims Medieval Spain (1994) cited, obviously actually consulted, resulting questionable conclusions. author on more solid ground when deals Carolingian era High Ages. Evidence from perspectives shows there degree acculturation by Jews even greater toleration them usually understood. Furthermore, also measure cultural dependence Christian religious social ideals. More research needed these subjects.
The American Historical Review