Week 9 (Wissenschaft des Judentums)

Wissenschaft des Judentums

Wissenschaft des Judentums ("The scientific investigation of Judaism") refers to a movement of the 19th century that sought critical investigation of Jewish literature and culture. Jewish scholars used scientific methods of investigation to trace the origin and development of Jewish traditions in an attempt to place Jewish culture on par with Western European culture and to restore a sense of Jewish pride. While followers of the movement worked to restore intellectual respectability for Jewish scholars, they tended to present Judaism as a relic and often ignored matters of contemporary relevance.