HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 1st degree (Bachelor)

Responsible Department: comparative religion

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Yonatan Moss

Coordinator Email: yonsmoss@gmail.com

Coordinator Office Hours: Mondays, 10:30-12:30

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Yonatan Moss

Course/Module description:
This course accompanies the lecture course 'Introduction to World Religions: First Semester: The Abrahamic Religions." We will delve into the history of the comparative study of the Abrahamic Religions, from the Middle Ages until today, and we will focus on these religions' modes of coping with a number of challenges.

Course/Module aims:

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
To understand the interrelationships between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
To asssess the commmonalities and differences between these religious traditions.
To analyze new phenomena in these religions as they continue to develop in our times.

Attendance requirements(%):
100% (with the exception of special permissions).

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:

Course/Module Content:
Lesson 1 (24.10.17): Abrahamic Religions as a comparative ‘category’, early manifestations:
Jacob of Edessa, from his Letter on the Genealogy of Mary.
Qirqisani, on Isaiah 66.17.
Ibn Kathir on Quran 1.7.
Lesson 2 (31.10.17): Abrahamic Religions as a ‘Category’—the Defense:
Guy G. Stroumsa, “Three Rings or Three Imposters? The Comparative Approach to the Abrahamic Religions and its Origins,” in Adam J. Silverstein, Guy G. Stroumsa, eds. (with Moshe Blidstein), The Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), 56-70.
Lesson 3 (7.11.17): Abrahamic Religions as a ‘Category’—the Case Against:
Aaron W. Hughes, Abrahamic Religions: On the Uses and Abuses of History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 1-33.
Lesson 4 (14.11.17): Ramon Lull, The Gentile and the Three Wise Men:
Anthony Bonner, Doctor Illuminatus: A Ramon Llull Reader (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993), 75-81; 85-104; 111-118.
Lesson 5 (21.11.17): Ramon Lull, The Gentile and the Three Wise Men (cont.):
Bonner, Doctor Illuminatus, 119-129; 136-150; 154-171.
Lesson 6 (28.11.17): Ibn Kammuna, An Examination of the Inquiries into the Three Faiths:
Moshe Perlman, Ibn Kammūna’s Examination of the Three Faiths (Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1971), 1-10; 38-54; 63-77.
Lesson 7 (5.12.17): Ibn Kammuna, An Examination of the Inquiries into the Three Faiths (cont.):
Perlman, Ibn Kammūna’s Examination, 78-110; 147-157.
Lesson 8 (12.12.17): Ibn Khaldun, Prolegomena to History:
Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (trans. Franz Rosenthal, ed.; abridged and ed. N. J. Dawood; London: Routledge, 1967), vii-xii; 70-80.
Lesson 9 (19.12.17): Ibn Khaldun, Prolegomena to History (cont.):
Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddimah, 80-89; 123-128; 154-155; 170-173; 256-259.
Lesson 10 (26.12.17): On the Three Imposters:
Georges Minois, The Atheist’s Bible: The Most Dangerous Book that Never Existed (trans. Lys Ann Weiss; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012), xi-xii; 1-34.
Lesson 11 (2.1.18): Challenges I: End of Sacrifice:
Num. 28-29; Hebrews 9-10; Quran 22.26-38.
Guy Stroumsa, The End of Sacrifice (trans. Susan Emanuel; Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2009), 56-83.
Lesson 12 (9.1.18): Challenges II: Secularization:
Judith Fox, “Secularization,” in John Hinnells, eds., The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion (2nd. ed.; London and New York: Routledge, 2010), 306-322.
Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity (Stanford, California; Stanford University Press, 2003), 1-17.
Lesson 13 (16.1.18): Challenges III: Gender:
Gen. 1-2; 1 Cor. 11.1-16; Gal. 3.27-28; 1 Tim. 2.8-15; Mishna Kiddushin 1.7; Maimonides, Code, Laws of Testimony 9.1-2; Quran 4.124; 4.34-35; 24.30-31.
Susannah Cornwall, “To Know in the Biblical Sense? Abrahamic Religious Epistemologies of Sexuality and Gender,” in Stephen J. Hunt and Andew K. T. Yip, eds., Ashgate Research Companion to Contemporary Religion and Sexuality (London and New York: Routledge, 2016), 15-30.
Lesson 14 (23.1.18): Challenges 4: Religion and Politics:
Malise Ruthven, “Religion and Politics in the Age of Fundamentalisms,” in Silverstein and Stroumsa, eds., Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions, 536-556.

Required Reading:
Lesson 1 (24.10.17): Abrahamic Religions as a comparative ‘category’, early manifestations:
Jacob of Edessa, from his Letter on the Genealogy of Mary.
Qirqisani, on Isaiah 66.17.
Ibn Kathir on Quran 1.7.
Lesson 2 (31.10.17): Abrahamic Religions as a ‘Category’—the Defense:
Guy G. Stroumsa, “Three Rings or Three Imposters? The Comparative Approach to the Abrahamic Religions and its Origins,” in Adam J. Silverstein, Guy G. Stroumsa, eds. (with Moshe Blidstein), The Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), 56-70.
Lesson 3 (7.11.17): Abrahamic Religions as a ‘Category’—the Case Against:
Aaron W. Hughes, Abrahamic Religions: On the Uses and Abuses of History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 1-33.
Lesson 4 (14.11.17): Ramon Lull, The Gentile and the Three Wise Men:
Anthony Bonner, Doctor Illuminatus: A Ramon Llull Reader (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993), 75-81; 85-104; 111-118.
Lesson 5 (21.11.17): Ramon Lull, The Gentile and the Three Wise Men (cont.):
Bonner, Doctor Illuminatus, 119-129; 136-150; 154-171.
Lesson 6 (28.11.17): Ibn Kammuna, An Examination of the Inquiries into the Three Faiths:
Moshe Perlman, Ibn Kammūna’s Examination of the Three Faiths (Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1971), 1-10; 38-54; 63-77.
Lesson 7 (5.12.17): Ibn Kammuna, An Examination of the Inquiries into the Three Faiths (cont.):
Perlman, Ibn Kammūna’s Examination, 78-110; 147-157.
Lesson 8 (12.12.17): Ibn Khaldun, Prolegomena to History:
Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (trans. Franz Rosenthal, ed.; abridged and ed. N. J. Dawood; London: Routledge, 1967), vii-xii; 70-80.
Lesson 9 (19.12.17): Ibn Khaldun, Prolegomena to History (cont.):
Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddimah, 80-89; 123-128; 154-155; 170-173; 256-259.
Lesson 10 (26.12.17): On the Three Imposters:
Georges Minois, The Atheist’s Bible: The Most Dangerous Book that Never Existed (trans. Lys Ann Weiss; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012), xi-xii; 1-34.
Lesson 11 (2.1.18): Challenges I: End of Sacrifice:
Num. 28-29; Hebrews 9-10; Quran 22.26-38.
Guy Stroumsa, The End of Sacrifice (trans. Susan Emanuel; Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2009), 56-83.
Lesson 12 (9.1.18): Challenges II: Secularization:
Judith Fox, “Secularization,” in John Hinnells, eds., The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion (2nd. ed.; London and New York: Routledge, 2010), 306-322.
Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity (Stanford, California; Stanford University Press, 2003), 1-17.
Lesson 13 (16.1.18): Challenges III: Gender:
Gen. 1-2; 1 Cor. 11.1-16; Gal. 3.27-28; 1 Tim. 2.8-15; Mishna Kiddushin 1.7; Maimonides, Code, Laws of Testimony 9.1-2; Quran 4.124; 4.34-35; 24.30-31.
Susannah Cornwall, “To Know in the Biblical Sense? Abrahamic Religious Epistemologies of Sexuality and Gender,” in Stephen J. Hunt and Andew K. T. Yip, eds., Ashgate Research Companion to Contemporary Religion and Sexuality (London and New York: Routledge, 2016), 15-30.
Lesson 14 (23.1.18): Challenges 4: Religion and Politics:
Malise Ruthven, “Religion and Politics in the Age of Fundamentalisms,” in Silverstein and Stroumsa, eds., Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions, 536-556.

Additional Reading Material:

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 60 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 10 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 30 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information: