Two Items Involving Imagined Jews

1. A book to look forward to:

Steven F. Kruger
The Spectral Jew: Conversion and Embodiment in Medieval Europe
Examining the points of contact between Christian and Jewish communities, Kruger discloses the profound paradox of the Jew as different in all ways, yet capable of converting to fully Christian status. He draws from central medieval authors and texts such as Peter Damian, Guibert of Nogent, the Barcelona Disputation, and the Hebrew chronicles of the First Crusade, as well as lesser known writings such as the disputations of Ceuta, Majorca, and Tortosa and the immensely popular Dialogues of Peter Alfonsi.By putting the conversion narrative at the center of this analysis, Kruger exposes it as a disruption of categories rather than a smooth passage and reveals the prominent role Judaism played in the medieval Christian imagination.
(from the University of Minnesota website)


2. Evidence that medieval conspiracy theories about Jewish cabals might be alive and well:

Check out Joan Scott's post and David Hirsh's reply , all regarding the "AAUP Fiasco" (a complicated issue, to say the least).