DISCUSSION TOPIC: ABRAHAM AND THE MONOTHEISTIC TRADITION

 Some Questions To Consider

• What is the story of Abraham?

• How is Abraham similar and how is he different in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions?

• What roles do Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael play in the three different religions?

• How is the binding of Abraham's son interpreted in the three different religions?

• What has been the history of the Tomb of the Patriarchs and the history of Hebron?

• Bruce Feiler, author not only of Walking the Bible but also of Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, asks whether Abraham can save the world.  How would you respond to his question?  What is Abraham's legacy to the world today?

Possible Starting Places

•    David Van Biema, "The Legacy Of Abraham," Time, September 30, 2002.

•   "Children Of Abraham," Speaking Of Faith, American Public Media, February 8, 2007: An extended interview with author Bruce Feiler.

Abraham In Judaism, Christianity And Islam

•   Abraham -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Abrahamic Religion -- Wikipedia:  A brief comparison of the three Abrahamic religions from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Islamic View Of Abraham -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Ishmael -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Hagar (Bible) -- Wikipedia: An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Sarah -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Isaac -- Wikipedia:  An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Place Of Prophet Ibrahim In Islam, Christianity And Judaism:  A comparative study of Abraham from Sound Vision, a non-profit organization that sells media products about Islam.

• Bruce Feiler, "Where Was Abraham Born," Slate, April 21, 2003.

• Tad Szulc, "Abraham: Journey Of Faith," National Geographic, 200 (December 2001).

•   Abraham And The Sacrifice:  A comparison of Jewish, Christian and Muslim accounts of Abraham and his sons from an Islamic information source.

• Story Of Abraham, From The Hebrew Bible:  A selection of text from Genesis.

•   Patriarchs And The Origins Of Judaism:  A description of the traditions associated with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from a web-site that highlights the basics of Judaism.

•   Huda Khattab, Zamzan, The Well Of Ishmael.

• "Abraham," Beyond Belief, BBC Radio 4, July 12, 2004: A weekly discussion roundtable hosted by Ernie Rhea.  Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to access this archived programme.

•   "Abraham's Legacy," NPR Weekend Edition Saturday, March 30, 2002.

•   "Abraham: A Journey To The Heart Of Three Faiths," Talk Of The Nation, September 2002.

• Robert Wright, "One World, Under God: Those Pragmatic Abrahamics," Atlantic (April 2009).

Hebron And The Tomb Of The Patriarchs

• Cave Of The Patriarchs:  An entry from Wikipedia.

• Cave of Machpelah, Tomb of the Patriarchs:  A concise description from the Jewish Virtual Library.

•   Ma'arat Ha Machpela, The Tomb Of The Patriarchs:  A site that calls for increased Jewish access to Abraham's tomb.

•   Aaron Klein, "Passover Party At Tomb Of The Patriarchs: Holiday Festivals, New Housing Units Solidify Jewish Presence In Ancient Hebron," World Net Daily, April 27, 2005.

•   "Hebron: City Of Strife," BBC News, July 16, 2001.

•   Gideon Levy, "Twilight Zone," Ha'aretz, March 16, 2001.

•   Amy Wilentz, "Battling Over Abraham," New Yorker, September 16, 1996.