“This is an exemplary comparative study of the interplay of religion and culture in pre- and early modern Christianity and Judaism, in which Eisen eschews essentializing formulations and gives all due consideration to the diversity of views within the two traditions. His book will contribute significantly to the ongoing reassessment of the influence and importance of Rabbinic Judaism in Jewish history.”

“Every Jewish day school educator and lay stakeholder–whether Secular, Reform, Conservative, Community,or Modern Orthodox–should read this book as a guide to creating an impactful curriculum; one that will strengthen our next generation of Jews…”

“This highly readable volume, which draws from a vast literature that ranges from the ancient to the contemporary and across multiple disciplines, should be required reading for those seeking to understand how any disenfranchised minority can overcome historic obstacles and nevertheless reach the highest levels of achievement.”

“Robert Eisen has asked a question that has intrigued Jews and non-Jews alike, and he offers answers that pierce the biases so often at play. Without fear and without polemic, he suggests through sober analysis that the disproportionate success of Jews in modern Western culture can be traced to values that have shaped Jewish and Western society for millennia. This book is both an answer to antisemitic tropes and an affirmation of the common ground that influences Christian and Jewish consciousness. His thesis is provocative, and his conclusions demand renewed engagement with the enduring legacy of Rabbinic Judaism. This is great news for rabbis and scholars of Judaism, each of whom, I believe, is obligated to consider the contributions of Eisen’s book. But it is even better news for those who seek insight into how to expand the ability of society and all of its participants to thrive.”

“This bold, erudite, and provocative attempt to explain Jews’ disproportionate success in the Modern Period may not persuade all readers, but will challenge, inform, and instruct them. Eisen’s comparison between Jewish and Christian approaches to key cultural values, and his case for Rabbinic Judaism’s lingering impact should reopen debate on subjects that more timid academics have been loath to engage.”

“In this provocative book, Robert Eisen demonstrates that traditional religious values cannot be simply washed out by the tidal waves of modernity. They run much deeper, into the conscious as well as unconscious operations of the modern minds, and they exert powerful influences even on those who are staunchly committed to secularism. Eisen’s story of Jewish success thus not only offers a new understanding of Rabbinic Judaism in the making of the Western world. More pertinently, it compels us to rethink the role of religion for all peoples who have undergone sea changes of reforms and revolutions in modern history.”

“In this thoughtful and important book, Robert Eisen tackles a delicate yet vital question – the reasons for Jewish economic and cultural prominence in the modern western world. Eisen makes a convincing case for the long term influences of Jewish religious civilization on generations of secularizing Jews. Clearly written, carefully argued, and thoroughly researched, this book deserves a wide readership and lively discussion.”