A Seminar on the Abrahamic Faiths

​Schedule, Topics, and Links
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Judaism: January 15, 22, and 29
Christianity: February 5, 19, and 26
Islam: March 4, 11, and 18

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  1. Why this Page: This page is an all-purpose page for nine seminars offered at the Madina Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas in the winter of 2020.  Participants can use it freely to learn about the three Abrahamic paths.  In each instance the focus is on appreciative knowledge.  We want to understand the beauty of each path.
  2. Sources: Our source for discussion are essays and videos of the Harvard Pluralism Project along with, in the case of Judaism, an essay introducing Judaism and some "moments of Torah" with Rabbi Bradley Artson. 
  3. Format: Our on-site format will be to watch short videos and discuss selected topics in the Harvard site.   
  4. No Homework: We do not assume that you have done homework prior to seminars, but we encourage all interested to go to the links for background and follow-up information.
  5. Friendships: We encourage participants to befriend people of all three faiths, get to know what is important to them in their respective paths, and also how they struggle with contemporary issues.  Friendships are an essential complement to our seminars.​

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Judaism 

​January 15, 22, and 29
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Introduction to JudaismThe Jewish ExperienceIssues for Jews in America
History: Judaism in the World (from the Harvard Pluralism Site)

a sample

c. 2000‑1500 BCE

The Patriarchal Period According to the Biblical narrative of Genesis, the first Jew was Abraham, commanded by God to leave his native Mesopotamia for the land of Canaan. As the founding fathers of the nomadic Hebrew tribes, Abraham, his son Isaac and grandson Jacob became known to Jewish tradition as the Patriarchs. Their wives—Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel—are the Matriarchs. This formative period ended when Jacob, renamed Israel, followed his son Joseph to Egypt during a period of famine in Canaan.

c. 1260 BCE

Moses, the Exodus, and Sinai  Exodus, the second book of the Bible, relates how the prophet and lawgiver Moses led the twelve Israelite tribes—descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob—out of their slavery in Egypt. During their sojourn in the desert, the tribes were united into the “people of Israel” at Mount Sinai, the traditional site of God’s revelation of the Torah.

c. 1200‑1050 BCE The Israelite Conquest of Canaan

Under the leadership of Joshua, the twelve tribes conquered and reapportioned Canaan as the land of Israel. Thereafter the people were led by a series of religious/military chiefs called Judges. From this period comes the earliest archaeological evidence of the people of Israel, mentioned on an Egyptian stele in the name of Pharoah Merneptah.

American Jews

Torah

The Sabbath


​The Mystical Tradition


Moments of Torah:
​Rabbi Bradley Artson
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We are meant to blossom and give

Dance as if your life depended on it

God's love includes us all

Recognize that life itself is divine

Become a Blessing for others

The Chosen People?


​Christianity 

February 5, 19, 26

(no class on February 11)

Introduction to Christianity ​The Christian Experience
Issues for Christians in America ​​History: Christianity in the World

1 CE Life of Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth, the man whom Christians consider to be the Messiah (or christos in Greek), was born in Palestine in present-day Israel. Many biblical scholars today, drawing on the known date of King Herod’s death, assert that Jesus was likely born in 4-5 BCE. The events Christians relate of his death by crucifixion and his resurrection would thus be dated to about the year 30 of the Common Era.

50-60 CE Paul’ s Letters to Churches

​Paul, a Jewish tentmaker, was dramatically converted to the way of Jesus in about 30 CE. He preached not only to Jews in synagogues, but also to non-Jews or Gentiles. He nurtured small communities of Christians throughout the Mediterranean world. His letters to these churches constitute the earliest Christian literature and became part of the New Testament.

70-100 CE Gospels Emerge from Early Communities

The word “gospel” translates the Greek term used by Mark: euangelion, meaning “good news.” The writers of the Gospels were “evangelists” telling the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. There were several early Gospels, including the four that came to be part of the New Testament canon.

150-200 CE Initial Formation of the New Testament Canon

The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, along with the letters of Paul and other writings such as the Book of Acts, came to be regarded as having special authority for the early church. These writings were described as a “canon of truth” and were also referred to collectively as the “New Testament.” The process of collecting and defining the New Testament involved much controversy, as some writings were deemed heretical and excluded from the canon.

American Christians

Jesus

The Church

Prayer


​Islam 

March 4, 11, 18
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Introduction to Islam
The Muslim Experience ​Issues for Muslims in America​

A New Islamic Landscape

American Muslims

The Qur'an

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

Shia//Sunni Short Film
Open Horizons