The Inner and the Outer: Jewish Lives in the Early Modern Period
More details will be shared soon.
This conference explores the theme of the inner life — both individual and communal — in early modern Jewish history. The idea of an inner existence, with its tensions, concealments, and revelations, offers a rich perspective through which to consider the social, intellectual, and spiritual worlds of early modern Jews and their communities. By exploring the interplay between inwardness and outwardness, this conference will reconsider how Jews in that period understood themselves and the environments in which they lived, particularly in relation to existing familial, religious, and political structures.
Conceptually, notions of an “inner life” were manifested in theology, religious custom, and communal practice. This included the rise of introspective currents in Kabbalah and Hasidism; self-scrutiny in ethical literature; a plethora of rabbinic emphases and networks that clashed in open controversies; and the cultivation of new communities seeking to navigate unique identities amid novel circumstances. These and many more inner realities were lived in negotiation with public roles, communal and familial expectations, and political and economic challenges
If you have any questions, contact Tamar Becker, becker.905@osu.edu