ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study investigating moments of intersection, tension, and accommodation between two well-known early modern religious communities, German Lutherans and German Jews. As a contribution to the research presented in this volume on the topic of community definition, I am interested in imagining Lutheran and Jewish communities as networks of overlapping circles that often shared the same geographic space but in important respects maintained their own social, political, and religious systems.1 This is a narrative about border crossings between two faith traditions and the impact on their respective communities; a discussion about how German Lutherans defined community, safeguarded social and religious boundaries, and allowed, under certain circumstances, outsiders to become insiders. It is also an investigation into a relatively unexplored aspect of Lutheran baptismal history, an examination of how adult baptism was used to assimilate converts into the Lutheran faith and showcase religious dogma during the confessional age.
