The Unconverted Self: Jews, Indians, and the Identity of Christian Europe

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The book explores how Christian Europe constructed its identity in relation to the Jewish presence long before the discovery of the New World. Jonathan Boyarin argues that the Jewish difference served as a crucial contrast for Christians, influencing their self-perception and societal norms. This internal dynamic, coupled with the historical tensions between Christianity and Islam, significantly impacted the attitudes and strategies of Christian colonizers in the Americas, revealing a complex interplay of identity and otherness in European history.