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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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/346 |
| _version_ | 1797534279732822016 |
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| author | Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota |
| author_facet | Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota |
| author_sort | Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:27:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5db4754d49e4e3f9f1bcf7c4b2ba191 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:27:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5db4754d49e4e3f9f1bcf7c4b2ba1912023-11-21T19:34:18ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-05-0112534610.3390/rel12050346A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the InquisitionYehonatan Elazar-DeMota0T.M.C. Asser Instituut, 2500 GL Den Haag, The NetherlandsIn 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>.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/346Sephardic Jews<i>anusim</i><i>conversos</i> New Christiansbaptismsacrament<i>halakhah</i> |
| spellingShingle | Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition Religions Sephardic Jews <i>anusim</i> <i>conversos</i> New Christians baptism sacrament <i>halakhah</i> |
| title | A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition |
| title_full | A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition |
| title_fullStr | A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition |
| title_short | A Comparative Analysis of <i>Berith</i> and the Sacrament of Baptism and How They Contributed to the Inquisition |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of i berith i and the sacrament of baptism and how they contributed to the inquisition |
| topic | Sephardic Jews <i>anusim</i> <i>conversos</i> New Christians baptism sacrament <i>halakhah</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/346 |
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