Ruderman, David B2023-05-222023-05-221987-07-012017-07-27https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/36338The study of Jewish culture and society in early modern Europe has advanced notably in recent years, but until now no one has attempted to provide a general synthesis of the period or a coherent scholarly interpretation of its historical meaning. As Jonathan Israel rightly contends, earlier historians have usually treated the era as merely an extension of the Jewish middle ages. In contrast, many have attempted to define the specific meaning of the modern period in Jewish history,1 and recently initial assessments of the Renaissance2 and baroque3 in the context of the Jewish experience have also been proposed.All 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 HistoryHistoryHistory of ReligionJewish StudiesSocial HistoryReview