A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition

In 1391 Spanish Jews were forcibly converted to Catholic Christianity, and Portuguese Jews suffered the same fate in 1497. Jewish law rendered involuntary converts as <i>anusim</i> and voluntary converts as <i>meshumadim</i>. Christians without Jewish ancestry called them by...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/346
Description
Summary:In 1391 Spanish Jews were forcibly converted to Catholic Christianity, and Portuguese Jews suffered the same fate in 1497. Jewish law rendered involuntary converts as <i>anusim</i> and voluntary converts as <i>meshumadim</i>. Christians without Jewish ancestry called them by various names, New Christians, <i>alboraique</i>, <i>xuetas</i>, and <i>marranos</i>, to name a few. In the fifteenth century, Catholic clerical authorities debated whether the New Christians were indeed Christians, albeit coerced. Canonic law rendered the sacrament of baptism as irrevocable. As such, any belief or practice not in accordance with Catholic doctrine was tantamount to heresy. Consequently, the Inquisition sought to rid the Church of the “Judaizing heresy.” On the one hand, the Sinaitic covenant (<i>berith</i>) considered <i>anusim</i> as Jews, even though there were Christians. This paper analyzes Jewish law and canonic law on respective religious identities. It includes an examination of rabbinic texts and rabbinic <i>responsa</i>, and an examination of the sacrament of Christian baptism. Both religious traditions fought for the souls of the <i>anusim</i>, characterizing what Victor Turner calls liminality and <i>communitas</i>.
ISSN:2077-1444