In July, 1656, the twenty-three-year-old Bento (Baruch) Spinoza was excommunicated by the Portuguese-Jewish community of Amsterdam. It was by far the harshest writ of herem (ban) ever issued by that community, and it was never rescinded. The Pulitzer Prize–shortlisted historian and American Academy in Rome Scholar in Residence Steven Nadler will consider the historical, religious, intellectual, and political circumstances around this seminal event in the life of the philosopher. Why was Spinoza ostracized with such extreme prejudice, and what can we know about the reasons for his punishment?

The lecture will be given in English.