Judaism without Jews : philosemitism and Christian polemic in early modern England / Eliane Glaser.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Glaser, Eliane, 1973-

Contributor:

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jews--England--History--17th century.

Jews.

Philosemitism--Great Britain.

Philosemitism.

Christianity and other religions--Judaism.

Christianity and other religions.

Judaism.

Judaism--Relations--Christianity.

Relations.

Christianity.

Ethnic relations.

History.

England--Ethnic relations.

England.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

vi, 220 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

Oliver Cromwell's readmission of the Jews to England in 1656 is traditionally regarded as a watershed in the history of the Jews in England, the culmination of a Christian enthusiasm for Jewish ideas which had been gathering strength since the Reformation. Judaism without Jews presents a revisionist account of Anglo-Jewish history and provides a critical account of the historiography of readmission as a definitive act of toleration. Eliane Glaser demonstrates that throughout the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Christians learnt Hebrew, studied Jewish history and even adopted Jewish customs, but argues that Christian Judaizing did not necessarily lead to the toleration of Jewish people. Through an analysis of a series of historically specific debates about religious practice, the relationship between church and state and the powers of monarch and parliament, Judaism without Jews interprets Christian philosemitism as a result of the polemical motivations of a variety of religious and political factions in early modern England.

Contents:

1 Anglo-Jewish History and Early Modern England 7

2 Puritans and Judaism: From Scholarship to Sedition 30

3 Anglicans and Judaism: From Ceremony to Legalism 64

4 Religious Toleration: Jews and Jewish Precedents in the Christian Church and State 92

5 Contesting Readmission: Common Law and the English Constitution 113.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-213) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780230507746

0230507743

OCLC:

72702385

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description