Faith and Reason: The Conflict Over the Rationalism of Maimonides

The violent conflict that raged over the philosophic writings of Maimonides in the 13th century was far from being an isolated episode in Jewish history. The conflict between Maimonists and Anti-Maimonists, which continued intermittently for several centuries involving the Jewish communities of several countries, is a most important chapter in the history of ideas shedding much light on the medieval mind. Faith and Reason is a painstaking reconstruction of this conflict in all its details. With much skill and labor, Dr. Saracheck has produced a volume which gives the reader a clear insight into the issues of the controversy, analyses the character of its major participants and reveals many interesting sides of medieval communal life. Above all, it clarifies the fundamental motives behind the conflict against the background of similar clashes within Christendom over heresies in the 13th century.