Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share much—and dispute much. Using his recently published book, The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction, as a foundation, in this course TBE member Charles L. Cohen views them as an extended family of religions grounded in their veneration of the one God proclaimed by Abraham. The course will explore their intertwined histories and interactions from their earliest efforts to define themselves in reference to each other up to their present antagonisms and mutual engagements. Throughout, particular attention will be paid to how political contexts continually reshaped the ways in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims thought about and treated each other.

To be successful in this course, participants should obtain the book The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction (approximately $10) and commit to reading it. This course is intended to be highly participatory, and individuals will be asked to share their perspectives based on the readings and Cohen's introductory comments.

Charles L. Cohen is the E. Gordon Fox Professor of American Institutions, emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the former director of the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions. He has been a member of Temple Beth El since 1988 and was the Swarsensky scholar in 2013.

For more information on this course, view the syllabus (PDF) >

Please register by Monday, February 22. Register Now >