Arguments Against the Christian Religion in Amsterdam by Saul Levi Morteira, Spinoza's Rabbi

Arguments Against the Christian Religion in Amsterdam by Saul Levi Morteira, Spinoza's Rabbi

This is the first book to offer a translation into English-as well as a critical study-of a Spanish treatise written around 1650 by Rabbi Saul Levi Morteira, whose most renowned congregant was Baruch Spinoza. Aimed at encouraging the practice of halachic Judaism among the Amsterdam-based descendants of conversos, Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity, the book stages a dialogue between two conversos that ultimately leads to a vision of a Jewish homeland-an outcome that Morteira thought was only possible through his program for rejudaisation.
  • Cover
  • Content
    • Acknowledgements
    • List of abbreviations
    • Introduction
      • Ets Haim Library ms. EH/LM 48D38 [Fuks 206]: A ‘Monuments Men’ manuscript
      • Morteira’s youth in the Venetian Ghetto
      • The converso heritage of Morteira’s congregants in Amsterdam
      • Crypto-Judaism
      • Rejudaization
      • Morteira’s role in rejudaization
      • The Portuguese Nation
      • Plot summary of Arguments against the Christian Religion in Amsterdam (ms. EH/LM 48D38 [Fuks 206])
      • The Portuguese Nation in Arguments against the Christian Religion in Amsterdam
      • Crypto-Judaism and rejudaization in Arguments
      • Converso protagonists in Arguments: Historical precedents
      • The influence of Lazarillo de Tormes on Arguments
      • The influence of Spanish Golden Age theater on Arguments
      • Arguments: Biblical sources
      • Arguments: Eschatology, rejudaization and Baruch Spinoza
      • Biographical notes on Miguel López and notes on his messianic images
      • Translator’s notes on ms. EH/LM 48D38 [Fuks 206]
    • Notes to introduction
    • Arguments against the Christian Religion in Amsterdam
    • Notes to Arguments
    • Works Cited
    • Index of direct and indirect biblical quotations in Arguments
    • Index to Introduction

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