Religious and Cultural Encounters in Medieval Sefarad and the Early Modern Iberian World - (Iberian Religious World) (Hardcover)

About the Book

The research in this volume reflects the wide spectrum of Ibero-Jewish (Sephardi), New Christian (Conversos), Atlantic, Mediterranean history, and Identity studies that Moises Orfali's scholarship shaped.

Book Synopsis

This volume examines the dynamics of religious and cultural interaction in medieval Sefarad and the early modern Iberian world. Leading scholars investigate coexistence, polemics, hybridity, and identity through richly documented case studies--ranging from rabbinic and Christian polemics to Converso struggles, diaspora adaptation, and literary transformation. Spanning genres and disciplines, the essays elucidate patterns of conflict and collaboration, as well as processes of conversion and continuity, among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Bringing together fresh methodologies and rare textual insights, this interdisciplinary collection offers a fitting tribute to Moisés Orfali, whose scholarship and mentorship have shaped the field and inspired generations of students.

About the Author

Claude B. Stuczynski is the Head of the Department of General History at Bar-Ilan University. He co-edited a special issue of Hispania Judaica Bulletin on "Converso Paulinisms" (2024) and advocates for examining the Converso phenomenon from a theological-political perspective.

Hilda Nissimi, Ph.D. (1995) is Associate Professor of History at Bar-Ilan University. She is the author of The Crypto-Jewish Mashhadis: History, Religion and Identity (2007) and has published widely on Jewish identity in museums and British identity, with a focus on crypto-faith and cultural continuity.

David L. Graizbord, Ph.D. (2000), is Professor of Judaic Studies at University of Arizona. He has published monographs, articles, and chapters in edited collections, including Early Modern Jewish Civilization: Unity and Diversity in a Diasporic Society. An Introduction (Routledge, 2024).