How, when, and to what degree was the Jewish-Christian Debate transformed in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries?

Abstract

Discussions of transformations—or lack thereof—in Jewish-Christian polemic in the High Middle Ages traditionally begin with reference to Amos Funkenstein’s 1968 article in Zion, which then appeared in abridged form in Viator and with various modif ications in his 1993 book, Perceptions of Jewish History. 1 Thus, in 1982, Jeremy Cohen set the stage for his own analysis by expressing reservations about Funkenstein’s thesis; 2 in 1996, the f irst paragraph of Daniel Lasker’s assessment of the twelfth century as a turning point in polemic addresses Funkenstein’s argument; 3 and Ora Limor’s recently published article 4 contrasting the Barcelona and Majorca disputations also begins with Funkenstein although the thrust of her concerns lies elsewhere. ¶ I cannot help but defer to the judgment of such distinguished scholars, and so I too will approach the question before us with initial reference to Funkenstein’s thesis. (from Introduction)