"This book addresses Moses Maimonides' (1138-1204) appropriation of marginal figures - lepers, converts, heretics, and others - normally considered on the fringes of society and religion. Each chapter focuses on a type or character that, in Maimonides' hands, becomes a metaphor for a larger, more substantive theological and philosophical issue. The author offers a close reading of key texts, such as the Guide of the Perplexed and the Mishneh Torah, demonstrating the importance of integrating Maimonides' legal and philosophical writings."--BOOK JACKET.