Ruderman, David B2023-05-222023-05-2219882017-07-28Ruderman, D.B. (1988). The Italian Renaissance and Jewish Thought. In Rabil, A. (Ed.), Renaissance Humanism: Foundations, Forms, and Legacy, Volume 1: Humanism in Italy, (pp. 382-433). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/36322One notable example of the asymmetry between general European and Jewish historiography is their respective treatments of the Renaissance period. At least since the appearance of Jacob Burckhardt's classic study, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, historians have thoroughly discussed the significance of this cultural epoch, often with great intensity and acrimony. Despite their diverging and often contradictory perspectives, few would now argue with Burckhardt's initial assessment that the Renaissance marks a momentous transformation in European civilization in general and in Italian culture in particular. 1All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used for purposes of scholarly citation, none of this work may be reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher. For information address the University of Pennsylvania Press, 3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112.Cultural HistoryEuropean HistoryHistoryHistory of ReligionJewish StudiesMedieval HistoryReligious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of ReligionBook Chapter