Medieval Roots of Antisemitism

<p>This book presents a fresh approach to the question of the historical continuities and discontinuities of Jew-hatred juxtaposing chapters dealing with the same phenomenon – one in the pre-modern one in the modern period. How do the circumstances of interreligious violence differ in pre-Reformation Europe the modern Muslim world and the modern Western world? In addition to the diachronic comparison most chapters deal with the significance of religion for the formation of anti-Jewish stereotypes. The direct dialogue of small-scale studies bridging the chronological gap brings out important nuances: anti-Zionist texts appropriating medieval ritual murder accusations; modern-day pogroms triggered by contemporary events but fuelled by medieval prejudices; and contemporary stickers drawing upon long-inherited knowledge about what a Jew looks like. These interconnections however differ from the often-assumed straightforward continuities between medieval and modern anti-Jewish hatred. The book brings together many of the most distinguished scholars of this field creating a unique dialogue between historical periods and academic disciplines.</p>