Why Aren't Jewish Women Circumcised?: Gender and Covenant in Judaism
Why aren't Jewish women circumcised? This improbable question, first advanced by anti-Jewish Christian polemicists, is the point of departure for this wide-ranging exploration of gender and Jewishness in Jewish thought. With a lively command of a wide range of Jewish sources—from the Bible and the Talmud to the legal and philosophical writings of the Middle Ages to Enlightenment thinkers and modern scholars—Shaye J. D. Cohen considers the varied responses to this provocative question and in...
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"This book represents engaged scholarship at its very best. Cohen presents the vast range of texts at his command with brevity and wit. Elegantly written, this is a very stimulating book that is sure to provoke admiration, discussion, and controversy."—David Biale, author of Cultures of the Jews"A distinguished and wide-ranging work of scholarship. Cohen's definitive discussion of the covenant of circumcision enhances our understanding of Jewish identity formation, women's status in Judaism, Jewish-Christian polemic, and the impact of diverse cultural environments on the evolution of Jewish tradition."—Judith R. Baskin, author of Midrashic Women
List of Illustrations PrefacePart One. Jewish Circumcision and Christian Polemics1. A Canonical History of Jewish Circumcision2. Were Jewish Women Ever Circumcised?3. Christian Questions, Christian Responses4. From Reticence to PolemicPart Two. Why Aren't Jewish Women Circumcised? Four Responses5. The Celebration of Manhood6. The Reduction of Lust and the Unmanning of Men7. True Faith and the Exemption of Women8. The Celebration of Womanhood Part Three. Conclusion: Challenges to the Circumcision of Jewish MenNotes Bibliography Index
