Schrift als Schutz. Jüdische Amulette im Spannungsfeld sprachlicher und nicht sprachlicher Elemente
Alisha Meininghaus is a doctoral candidate at the Department of the Study of Religion at the Philipps University of Marburg. She holds a MA in the Study of Religion with a minor in Jewish Studies.
The dissertation "Schrift als Schutz. Jüdische Amulette im Spannungsfeld sprachlicher und nicht sprachlicher Elemente" examines Jewish amulets from the German-speaking areas in the 18th and 19th centuries. The study focuses in particular on the manifestations of printed birth amulets, the forms of their use, and on Jewish discourses about amulets.
The study stands within the context of the approach of "material religion“ and therefore understands amulets not only as a medium of text but also as an object with haptic and visual effects. Accordingly, in addition to the texts, the production conditions in the printing houses, the woodcuts, and other visual elements as well as the concrete usage practices are included in the analysis. The results of the research are intended to contribute to the discussion on the applicability of the term magic in the Study of Religion.
