Zu seinem bevorstehendem Vortrag schreibt Ran Segev: »My current research examines how Christian and Jewish writers addressed the human-animal divide between the 1600s and 1830s, a period marked by significant shifts in European interaction with nature. Drawing on recent scholarship on human-animal relations, I argue that the perceived boundary between humans and animals in religious discourse was more fluid and uncertain than often assumed. I also claim that by focusing on this boundary, we can learn a great deal about the concerns and specificities of religious communities. To illustrate this, I will analyze the debate on the human-animal distinction among Iberian-descended Jews in 17th-century Amsterdam. I argue that Sepahrdi Jews appropriated this discourse to explore theology, ethics, and humanity’s role in the world. I will show that studying animals’ place in Jewish thought provides insight into how Sephardi Jews defended their traditions against heretical voices and sought to reconnect with their identity and heritage.«
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