Transforming Identity: The Ritual Transition From Gentile To Jew - Structure And Meaning

Book Summary

Of all Judaic rituals, that of giyyur is arguably the most radical: it turns a Gentile into a Jew--once and for all and irrevocably. The very possibility of such a transformation is anomalous, according to Jewish tradition, which regards Jewishness as an ascriptive status entered through birth to a Jewish mother. What is the internal logic of the ritual of giyyur, which seems to enable a Gentile to acquire an 'ascribed' identity? It is to this question, and others deriving from it, the authors address themselves in Transforming Identity.

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