An incisive cross-section of Jewish-Christian relations in medieval Europe, told through a single year.
Set in the year 1257, this insightful book offers a vivid portrait of Jewish-Christian relations across medieval Europe through eight interconnected stories. From the streets of Paris and Oxford to the trading centers of Cologne, the frontier town of Cuenca, and the troubled landscapes of southern France, William Chester Jordan reveals a world shaped by cooperation, conflict, commerce, faith, and political ambition. Along the way, powerful figures such as Louis IX of France, Manfred of Sicily, and James of Aragon illuminate the wider forces transforming European society. Rather than reducing relations between religious communities to hostility or harmony alone, the book examines the conditions that encouraged both tension and coexistence. Through the experiences of individuals and communities, it offers a nuanced picture of a diverse and deeply interconnected medieval world.
