Early modern conversions and material culture

Much of what we know about early modern conversions from Judaism to Christianity is based on written text, either by the convert himself (the authors were usually men) or by others who wrote approvingly or mockingly about a Jew’s conversion and assessed its lasting success. This paper will argue that material culture can provide additional perspectives on the early modern conversion experience. Carefully commissioned devotional art, public sculptures, wood prints, wills and legacies indicate that conversions were seen as public events that demanded a ‘multi-media approach’ that highlighted the theological potential of the conversion for both Christians and Jews in early modern German lands.