A Jewish Jesuit in the Eastern Mediterranean: Early Modern Conversion, Mission, and the Construction of Identity

Dust Jacket: One minor flaw. The DJ has very minor shelf rubs on the top front panel (photo). A complimentary clear Mylar cover is included in the purchase. Book: The book is pristine. No marks or entries, no page toning, the boards and spine are tight and firm (photo). The gilt lettering on the book spine is bright and unblemished. "In A Jewish Jesuit in the Eastern Mediterranean, Robert Clines retraces the conversion and missionary career of Giovanni Battista Eliano, the only Jewish-born member of the Society of Jesus. He highlights the lived experience of conversion, and how converts dealt with others' skepticism of their motives. Clines uses primary sources, including Eliano's personal letters, missionary reports, and autobiography, together with scholarship on conversion in the early modern Mediterranean world to illustrate how false and sincere conversion often mirrored each other in outward performance. Devout converts were not readily taken at face value and needed to prove themselves in the moment and over the course of their lifetimes. Consequently, Eliano's story underscores that the mystical, introspective nature of religious belief and the formulation of new spiritual selves came into direct confrontation with the ways in which converts needed to present themselves to others in an age of political and religious turmoil." Robert John Clines, an early Mediterranean scholar, details the career of missionary Giovanni Battista Eliano (1530-1589) who holds the distinction of being the only Jewish-born member of the Society of Jesus. "He highlights the lived experience of conversion, and how converts dealt with others' skepticism of their motives. Clines uses primary sources, including Eliano's personal letters, missionary reports, and autobiography . . ." The book comprises a Table of Contents, Introduction, 7 chronological Chapters of Eliano's life, an Epilogue, Bibliography, and Index. Exhaustively researched and detailed, there are footnotes on virtually every page.