Introduction : regnant perceptions and empirical evidence -- Talmudic and halakhic studies : internal organization and societal models -- Tosafist biblical exegesis in northern France at the end of the twelfth century : between peshat and derash -- The contours of biblical interpretation during the early thirteenth century -- Interpretations for a varied audience through the thirteenth century -- Genres and strategies of piyyut composition among the Tosafists -- Magic and mysticism in Tosafist literature and thought -- Tosafist approaches to matters of belief and the implications for popular culture -- Conclusion : Ashkenazic rabbinic culture in its plenitude
Summary
This book challenges the dominant perception that medieval Ashkenazic rabbinic scholarship was lacking in intellectualism or broad scholarly interests. While cultural interaction between Ashkenazic Jews and Christians in western Europe was less than that of Sephardic Jews, the author's study shows that the intellectual interests of Ashkenazic rabbinic figures were much broader than Talmudic studies alone
