JHIS 4935: Conversion to and from Judaism in Historical Perspective

Abstract

Course Description and Objectives:¶ This course will use the experience of conversion to and from Judaism as a lens through which to examine the Jewish past. Religious conversion, which centers on questions of individual and communal identity and communal boundaries, is an especially productive lens through which to examine the changing Jewish experience in different historical contexts. Our study will explore the trajectory of conversion to and from Judaism from antiquity to today. We will examine the experiences and motivations of converts, attitudes of Jewish communities toward converts, Jewish communal anxiety about the prospect of conversion to Christianity, and reception of converts from Judaism by their new religious community. While conversion from Judaism represents the dominant historical experience, we will also consider questions of conversion to Judaism, thinking about contexts in which conversion to Judaism was numerically significant and the importance of the idea of conversion to Judaism in contexts even when it wasn’t numerically significant. We will focus on theoretical and methodological issues related to the study of religious conversion, including those related to narratives of conversion. We’ll ask questions about the roles of gender and age in the experience of conversion at different times and in disparate places.We will also assess the types of sources available for the study of religious conversion and the modes of analysis occasioned by the variety of source materials.¶ We will read and analyze primary sources as well as secondary literature. While historical studies of Jewish conversion to Christianity will comprise the majority of readings, students will also encounter theoretical models for the study of religious conversion emerging from the discipline of religious studies and integrate these with historical study.¶ Your preparation, participation, and writing are key components of this course in which we will together engage in inquiry about the historical experience of conversion to and from Judaism.