Catholic Thought and Papal Jewry Policy, 1555-1593

Kenneth Stow's Catholic Thought and Papal Jewry Policy, 1555 to 1593 is a scholarly study, published by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, of papal policy toward Jewish communities during a period that included some of the most severely restrictive papal measures in that history. Stow is a recognized historian of Jewish Christian relations in early modern Italy, and the book's authority rests on close use of Vatican and Italian archival sources to trace the theological reasoning behind specific papal policies rather than simply cataloging their effects. Its focused period allows real depth on that specific reign by reign policy history. Its limit is that narrow chronological window, so a claim about papal Jewry policy before 1555 or after 1593 needs a different source covering that other period.