REL 312 The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

This course is a comparative study of the three Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It examines the shared aspects as well as the distinct elements of these religions, and shows that sometimes these traditions work together and sometimes they are at odds with each other. The course first introduces the three Abrahamic religions emphasizing their common source. Then it compares them along thematic lines, and finally it examines the way these three major traditions impact the modern West and the Middle East specifically. Among the themes to be discussed are: Abraham, scripture and tradition, law, the creation, God, worship, mysticism, the house of God, the tradition of head covering, homosexuality, Jerusalem, and the end of times.