Yankel’s Book Club
Just a quick post to share two books that I’ve read recently and really enjoyed. Both are histories, (I love history), extremely well written and compelling.
The first is Constantine’s Sword by James Carroll. It is a history of the interaction between Judaism and Christianity, but mostly Judaism and the Catholic Church. The author is a novelist and ex-Catholic priest, and once you get past his guilt-induced hand wringing it’s a really insightful account of that long and sad relationship. The author knows his stuff, obviously has strong feelings about the subject, and brought up issues dealing with the fundamental natures of Christianity and Judaism that I had never considered. It’s a big book, but a surprisingly quick and interesting read, a real page turner.
The other is The Jews of Spain by Jane Gerber. It’s a history of the Sephardic Jews, from the brilliant civilization they helped to build on the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492, to their expulsion from Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella, to their dispersion around the world and the ongoing influence they had on all the lands they reached. It is a beautiful book, beautifully written by a first-rate historian, and only about 400 pages long. Pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.
Hi Yankel,
I read Constantine’s Sword several years ago, and I also thought it was an insightful read. I will check out the one you mentioned on the Sephardim…. one of my favorite Jewish topics is the Jews of al-Andalus, and I strongly recommend anything on the topic written by Rabbi Dr. Raymond P. Scheindlin of JTS. I especially like the chapter he contributed to David Biale’s edited volume “The Cultures of the Jews.” Thanks for the suggestions, I will add the second one to my list :)!
Yair
I read Constantine’s Sword about 4 1/2 years ago. It is excellent and yes, insightful. Great for “Nu Jews” like myself.
Hey Yankel, nice post!
They both sound like interesting books, especially the second one on Sephardic Jews. If you’re done with the book for a while, I know someone (actually we both know this French woman) who might enjoy reading it.
Wanna lend it to me so I can lend it to her?
I was so inspired by Constantine’s Sword that I traveled to Europe this summer and follwed the path of Constantine from Germany to Italy. I saw the synagogue in Trier and Worms as well as the Venetian and Roman Ghetto in the process. I also started Constantine’s Gourd at blogger .com. Carroll’s book is one that every Jew and gentile should be required to read.
I’ll have to read CS, I guess! It sounds fascinating, and I’ve always been intrigued by the relationship between the Church and Jews. One of my Jewish friends once said that if she weren’t Jewish, she’d choose to be Catholic, which always struck me as really, really odd. Not to mention the Church’s non-action during the Holocaust (though there were plenty of righteous Catholics who stepped in). The historical relationship is equally fascinating and I think this book will be a good pick for me
Then again, I find the Church fascinating as is … not to mention Christianity and all its (pagan-induced) holidays!
Chavi Jo:
I too would be Catholic if I weren’t Jewish. I think it’s because 1) the elaborate ritual is similar to the ritual in the Temple (incense!). It really gets to me; and 2) the whole notion of a sacred, set aside priesthood is deeply Jewish. That resonates with me, too.