Defending Judaism: Jewish Writing and Religious Toleration in Early Modern Europe

Defending Judaism: Jewish Writing and Religious Toleration in Early Modern Europe explores the decisive contributions of Jewish writers to the expansion of religious toleration during the period 1600-1789. A key breakthrough for this development was the emergence of charismatic Jewish scholars who galvanized Christian audiences, garnering sufficiently broad recognition as trusted authorities that they were able to improve public perceptions of Judaism and, in some cases, motivate liberalization of governmental policies. They were Jewish experts whom Christians judged worthy of cultivating and whose writings became central elements in the larger Christian discourse on Judaism and toleration. Educated Christians not only listened to these Jewish voices but also began to amplify their perspectives. The resulting harmony, audible in a new collaborative Christian-Jewish discourse, had a significant impact on the expansion of religious toleration.

The book describes how successful Jewish writers from Leon Modena to Moses Mendelssohn wrote works addressed to Gentile readers to foster new understandings of the integrity of Judaism and the value of religious toleration. This study underscores the pivotal contributions of Jewish and Christian thinkers, working in dialogue with one another, to counter antisemitic stereotypes through rational defenses of Judaism. These interactions, despite challenges, advanced cultural appreciation, and modern perceptions of Judaism as a religion of reason, tolerance, and ethical universalism, supporting the trajectory of Jewish emancipation in Europe.