The Friars and the Jews: Evolution of Mediaeval Anti-Judaism

Cohen argues that it was in the thirteenth century that a fundamental shift occurred in the Christian perception of both Judaism and Jews in Western Europe, and he attributes this change to the activities of the newly-formed mendicant orders-the Dominicans and Franciscans. In order to make this case as effectively as he does, the author has to approach his problem from two different perspectives-that of the historian of the medieval church, and that of the Jewish historian. Each of these approaches has its own scholarly literature, its own emphases, its own particular blind spots. It is the principal quality of this book that it focuses a steady, clear light on those dark corners, and will make sense to a variety of readers…Cohen’s views will be taken seriously. Indeed, the calm and sensible tone of this book may help stimulate a new scholarly debate. -American Jewish History