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1 | Timestamp | Email Address | Name | Title of reading | Key concepts I learned from this reading: | Important connections from what I read: | This surprised me about what I read: | I had questions about this: |
2 | 4/17/2017 13:13:46 | berryh4@winthrop.edu | Berry, Haley | Children of Abraham | The author draws comparisons between the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The reading then discusses the sacred texts each religion uses such as The Torah, The Bible and The Quran. The author highlights the similarities of the three religions to provide background for the rest of the book. | I took a world religions class in high school and I am very excited to look into the similarities and differences between these three religions. I already knew Abraham was a central character for all three religions. I find the stories intriguing since they are described across the three religious texts. | The similarities between the three religions surprised me because no one ever really talks about this. When I hear people talk of these religions, they speak of them as if they are extremely different. | If the religions are as similar as the author suggests, where do the conflicts between the three religions originate from? |
3 | 4/9/2017 17:41:16 | blocker2762@Yahoo.com | Ray, Alexander | Children of Abraham | The main idea of the reading was to explain the interconnected nature shared between the three Abrahamic religions. The author set out to prove that the religions are not as different as some might expect, but are also not the most similar either. He aims to illustrate what connects all the religions together conceptually, but also to create a dichotomy by showing what also differs in certain subject areas. | I think this reading puts a lot of aspects of religion and conflict between religions into context, especially over the issue of inheritance. In the modern world there is a lot of conflict between religions and much of that conflict is sourced from each religion's desire to prove the other one wrong over an issue, or to prove to the world that their religion is the right one. Since these three religions' origins are so interconnected, it is easier to understand this conflict and associate the modern fighting and issues that Abrahamic religions have with their origins thousands of years ago. | I was actually surprised by how much the religions could be similar but also different. There is an obvious similarity in that they all stem from the same person, that being Abraham, but the differences between each when it comes to other topics, such as community or the nature of God surprised me quite a bit, as I previously did not know very much about the beliefs of Islam or Christianity. | My question would be what degree of importance do practitioners of each of the Abrahamic religions place on understanding the similarities and differences they have with each other? How important is it for the average practicing Christian, Jew, or Muslim to learn and understand what makes Christianity or Judaism or Islam similar to their own religion? Should there be an emphasis? Is it even important for a Jew to learn about the ways of a Christian, what should be expected to come out of it, and why is it important? |
4 | 4/17/2017 20:49:18 | campbellt10@winthrop.edu | Campbell, Taliya | The Children of Abraham | Peters discusses the three religions(Christianity, Judaism, Islam) that stem from Abraham. | This reading relates to my Art History class. We were recently talking about Abraham, and how important he is in religion. Specifically, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. We went over how greatly he was worshiped and how hurtful it was when he died. | I was surprised to find out how closely related these three religions are, yet how different they are. They all worship the same God, it's just in different ways and I don't think I ever really paid attention to that until now. | I would like to know if Muslims feel that their religion is similar to that of a Christian or Jew, and do they feel that those individuals worship God in the wrong way? |
5 | 4/12/2017 14:21:57 | camposr2@gmail.com | Campos, Robert | Children of Abraham | The most important concepts that I had learned from reading the book was the comparison between the 3 major monotheistic religions of the 21th century. It shows the similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism while showing the key differences between the largest religions in the world and how they all trace their selves back to Abraham. | The largest connection that i saw throughout the first 40 pages of this book is just how close all of the different religions see many different views. The biggest similarity that ive seen in my life is how people from all three of these major religions. All three of these religions have different perspectives on the same God and the same patriarch of their religion. | The thing that surprised me most is how that there is so many people of each of these religions and how that there is polar opposites within the religions and extremes that manifest themselves through the 3 key religions. | Im curious about the motives that influenced the split into the 3 major religions |
6 | 4/17/2017 12:55:30 | carterc18@winthrop.edu | Carter, Caitlyn | Children of Abraham, Chapters 1 and 2 | The first chapter of Children of Abraham was a basic overview of the three different religions and how they believe they originated. The author showed that the main connection between the three religions and their origins can be traced back to Abraham. Also discussed are the different but similar stories of these religions. All three of these religions have some very similar stories with some of the same people, however some aspects of the stories are changed from religion to religion. Also, a little bit into the book it goes more in depth and talks about specific stories such as the one of Jesus and how these three religions view Him and how each of the three religions believe that they are God’s true people and should inherit God’s promise. | The connection I am able to make with the reading is a personal connection. I grew up very religious with a very religious family and the stories of the Bible were a must for me to learn. So, obviously, the story of Abraham and his sons Isaac and Ishmael was a major story that I needed to know and this first chapter is describing how this story connects the three different religions, including the one that I am a part of. | What surprised me about this reading was that these three religions did in fact have some of the same stories with the same people just some of the aspects of the stories were different. It is very interesting to me that these religions have similar stories but worship and practice things differently. | My question about this reading is if there are three religions that all trace their origins back to Abraham, how did these three religions get to be so different? Also, if each religion believes that they are God’s true people then what do they see the other religions as and how could this have happened when their origins are all the same person, Abraham. |
7 | 4/16/2017 21:36:46 | edwardsn3@winthrop.edu | Edwards, NazNakira | Children of Abraham | The key concept of the reading was to compare christianity, judaism, and islam. The book was trying to show that the three are actually connected even though some people may think that they are very different. In the book he goes into deep detail of where they all started and how they started. | The thing i can connect with the most is how the three religions connect. Most people that i know in my religion think they are the only religion that is right, when in all reality most of them are the same. | The connection between the 3. Like i said before my religion believed they were the only ones that was right, so that is how i felt as well. this book opened my eyes to the similarities and made me understand that no one religion is right. | If all of them are the same and connected in many ways, how did they get separated throughout time? why can't those three religions worship together? |
8 | 4/17/2017 10:24:29 | englishv2@winthrop.edu | English,Victoria | Children of Abraham | They key concept of this reading was distinguishing between three religions; Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. All discus, the story of Abraham and how he fits in all religions. The goal was to share pieces from all religions and let the readers see the similarities and differences between the three. | The main connection that I made was that people from different religions are not always that different. I feel like there is a central goal or objectives that each person on this earth is trying to reach/achieve. A few religions like discussed in this book seem to be the same, but just have a few differences as far as different perspectives are shared. | What surprised me when I read was all the different people I the stories. Like in the bible, all of the people have a story that is significant or an encounter with God. | What surprised me when I read was all the different people I the stories. Like in the bible, all of the people have a story that is significant or an encounter with God. |
9 | 4/17/2017 13:34:37 | fowlera15@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Fowler, Autumn | Children of Abraham | The main focus discusses just how similar the main 3 religions are to each other. This is important because many of us go through life not realizing or believing just how similar our religions are. This could be because we are so focused on proving the other religions wrong than actually paying attention to the similarities. | This connects to me through growing up in a religious household. Many of the elders in my family would probably dispute the findings in this book, not wanting to believe we all could be worshipping the same God. | It surprised me how close we are to Islam. I literally had no idea that the timeline of Islamic beliefs and Christianity timeline was so close and similar. The only difference is Muhammad is the last prophet. | I have more questions regarding Judaism and Christianity. I have always been very confused regarding why exactly Jews aren't and don't consider their selves christians. Because I believe we are worshipping the same God. So what's the difference? |
10 | 4/10/2017 7:01:12 | haleyhubner@ymail.com | Hubner, Haley | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of the reading is the comparison between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The author aims to prove that the three religions are actually very similar, despite popular misconceptions. (More specifically, they are similar in that they are "by the book" religions with similar prophets.) | This semester, I took a special topics course on Islam. In that class we learned how similar Islam really is to Christianity, especially when it comes to the origin stories. (I.E both of them recognize Moses as the first prophet. Islam differs by thinking of Muhammad as the final prophet.) I think recognizing the similarities between the religions is very important, especially considering the current negative sentiment towards Muslims worldwide. | I didn't realize that the Judaism is considered the first time God spoke to the people and that Islam is the "third and final time" as far as the sacred texts are concerned. | I would like to know even more on what actually makes the religions different: More specifically I want to know more about how each religion views the other. (Or how the people practicing commonly view the others). How does each religion recognize the others? DO they give them any credibility? |
11 | 4/10/2017 13:55:38 | harrells5@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Harrell, Sandquilla | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of this reading is to make connections between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The goal of the author is trace the origin of each religion within the context of different perspectives. The author wants to point out the similarities and differences of the religions, while helping you understand from a different angle or view. | The major connection I find within the text is how the religions try to compare their beliefs and see who is more right than the other. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion within certain aspects. The connections between the outside world and the book help me understand the complexity of the issues behind every religion. | It surprised me how all three religions are connected in some way. | What makes each religion different? How do religions view one another? |
12 | 4/11/2017 0:02:12 | kielk2@winthrop.edu | Kiel, Kristopher | Children of Abraham | The author in this reading pointed out how similar the three Abrahamic religions are, but then goes more in depth by telling the differences between them by showing the different points of view. The main differences that the author talks about is based on Muhammed for Islam, Jesus for Christians, and the covenant with Jews. He then points out that these three religions believe that they are chosen by God to inherit the earth, which is obviously problematic. Yes there are subheadings under the thesis. | I think it's funny how all the religions believe that they're religion are the ones that are chosen by God. I also think that my generation of people is more secular when it comes to religion, especially in the western world. I mean by this that I think that the ways of thinking of the three Abrahamic religions will change, not so much in the stories, but the ways that we think about what we're doing is right. | Being that both of my parents are pastors, religion has always been a major part of my life. I was not really surprised about what I read, but I am absolutely baffled at how little people really know about the other Abrahamic religions (Judaism and Islam). I have always known a lot about those religions and at how similar they are to Christianity. Other people on the other hand believe that Muslims are barbaric people that form groups like Al-Queda and ISIS, which is just a small group of insurrectionists. | If God told Abraham that "all of your children shall inherit the world," then why did God have to split Abraham's children into three groups of people? Surely he would have known that this would cause chaos. |
13 | 4/10/2017 13:51:33 | krystal.veney@gmail.com | veney, krystal | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of the writer is to give a comparison of the 3 religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Peters main goal is to show that these religions are actually more similar than most people think. He does this by looking at stories , and the history of each religion. Yes, there are subheadings under the thesis | There have been many times where I've witnessed religion being the reason for some type of altercation. It's interesting because religion can be the divide between many people, however if you look at the stories and the history you can find that they are alot more similar than different. | It surprised how interconnected each religion is. They share 3 different names so it makes them seem like completely different subjects, but at the end of the day they are right on the same tract. | How did our religions become so divided throughout history? |
14 | 4/10/2017 14:33:10 | kwasnyj2@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Kwasny, Julia | Children of Abraham | In the introduction, we first learn that the three great religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) are all religions of the book and all are monotheistic and believe in one God, the same God. Each holy book describes creation and the promise God made with Abraham. Abraham is told he and his children will own the land they are living on. He then has children with two women. The descendants of Sarah, his wife, are thought to be the Jews and Christians. The decedents of the Arabs are from the son of Hagar, Ishmael. This leads into the contested inheritance chapter of the book. The land was promised to the heir of Abraham, but no one knows if it should be the son he had with his wife Sarah, Isaac, or his first- born son Ishmael. The book then goes into the separation of Jews and Christians after the birth of Jesus and the origins of Islam. | Growing up religious and going to catechism classes, there was not a large emphasis put on the story of Abraham and his heirs. I do not think I have ever read the story myself until I read The Children of Abraham for this class. Israel is important to Catholics because that is where Jesus lived and that was all that was really taught to me as a child. | I was surprised when the book says that all three religions believe in one God who is the same God. With all of the differences between all three religions, it is easy for me to forget that each religion is based on the same God, and that they each worship the same God. | Why is each religion so different if they worship the same God? Why do the religions fight over the land promised to Abraham's heir? All three religions are relatively peaceful, can they not share the land equally? |
15 | 4/17/2017 20:35:31 | lattimorek2@winthrop.edu | lattimore, kristan | the children of abraham | the key concepts to me are the comparisons between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. | one connection i have made is that apparently all 3 religions are "fathered" or derive from Abraham. i guess that is where the title comes from. | Something that i now question is if all of these 3 religions serve the same God or not? | if these religions are some similar to each other why is there so much conflict in the world about their differences. People have literally gone to war over this and i feel that a lot of world issue could have been prevented if people took the time to understand each other and learn about others culture. |
16 | 4/10/2017 15:55:18 | Martins23@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Martin, Stephanie | Chapter 1 and 2 of the Children of Abraham | The reading begins by describing the three religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, as monotheistic religions who worship one God. It then goes on to discuss the different holy books each religion follows, being the Torah, the Quran, and the Bible. It then goes to describe the life of Abraham and the promise that God made to him to give him many children and a promise lad for them. It discussed his two first born sons by different women and their importance in the three religions.It then goes on to describe the history of Judaism and its different sects along with the history of Jesus and how each faith views him. Finally, it discusses Islam and the prophet Muhammad along with the history of his life. | I already knew that these three religions believed in one God but I found it interesting how much the histories of each faith is intertwined. In a lot of ways I feel they are almost the same religion that only differs on minor things. I also think it is interesting in today's context due to the "Muslim Ban" issued by President Trump and the support it gained by many Christians since the two religions essentially believe in the same God. | I was surprised that Abraham had sons from two different women, I had never read the story so it shocked me. It peaked my curiosity on whether God would have approved of it since he later created a commandment that said adultry was a sin. | I would like to know more about the sects within Judaism because the text confused me about their differences and how the came to be. |
17 | 4/10/2017 20:48:10 | mccloskeyb2@winthrop.edu | McCloskey, Blake | The Children of Abraham | The basis of these two chapters is to set up what the book is about and give background info on each of the three religions covered in the book. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all point back to one man: Abraham. It then goes on to explain how each of his sons started each religion and how the birth of Christ also changed up things a bit. It takes the three main religious texts and analyzes each to show what each account tells. | I already knew almost all of this info so if anything it just reinforces why the religious conflict takes place and why the land of Israel is being fought over so much. Another connection I remembered was how Joseph Campbell also examines multiple different religious texts and compares similar stories that all have same themes and motifs except take place in a totally different ethnic area. | It's weird that this isn't really common knowledge but it should. We saw in Baghdad that all 3 of the religions lived in harmony, and same goes for Israel. I wonder if this is because how similar each felt connected. Protestants really dissociate from Islam especially in America when they have almost the same roots! | I wish to know what were the main factors that caused violence among the three religions and what caused the hatred throughout history other than the rules itself. |
18 | 4/10/2017 17:48:38 | mikellk3@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Mikell, Keanna | The Children Of Abraham | Some of the things that I learned while reading that I was unaware of previously was that all three religions were derived from Abraham, but the difference comes in with who is a descendant from who. For example, some Jews and Christians believed the Arabs to descendants of Ishmael. Another important point in this reading was that even though each religion began with Abraham and his sons, they all believe themselves to be different or "the chosen people". They all believe their religion to be "the" religion. The sharing of prophets is also important. Especially between Christianity and Judaism, since Moses gave them The Old Testament or the Torah. | I think this reading emphasized some of the points made in God on Trial and the video on Islam, which were both watched in class. It showed how each religion is truly one of its own and how even though they have some similarities they are all unique. | What surprised me most about the reading is probably the story about Ishmael. For some reason I forgot that Abraham had two sons until this class. I had always been interested in the story of Issac, so it was easy for me to remember him, and I was unaware of another son but I did not know or at least I don't remember learning the story of how he was born and then sent into exile with his mother. | My main question is why do these three religions hate each other so much when there are so many similarities at their core? I understand they all believe to be the chosen one, but how can they ignore all three origins. Especially Christians and Jews, since they are believed to be descendants of the same son and share much of the same holy word? |
19 | 4/17/2017 12:31:49 | murciers2@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Murcier, Savannah | The Children Of Abraham | The central thesis of this reading was to explain in detail the connections that the Judaism, Christianity, and Islam religions share. The author wanted to clarify that these religions might not be exactly the same but they do share some of the same characteristics, such as the God they serve, and how they ultimately originated. He goes into depth about each religion and talks about the different forms of Judaism, how the Islam religion was originated and how Jesus came into Christianity. He then goes on the explain how each of these religions thought that they were the chosen ones and were chosen by God to inherit the earth. | Growing up in a very religious family and within my own experiences and me being a Christian, I have already hear the story of Abraham before. I also knew that these three religions each believed that they were the chosen ones. But, I think this book weighs in on the problems the arise with all the religious conflict today. Each thinking that one is more superior than the other, or one is right and the other is wrong in a way. Even though we share similarities we still seem to be in conflict with each other instead of embracing each other and sharing what we have in common. | I honestly did not know that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originated from Abraham. I thought that Christians were the only ones referred to as The Children Of Abraham. I also did not know these religions has so much in common with each other | It seems like centuries ago religions had more courtesy towards each other but now they do not. What happened that caused them to become so distant and divided? How can three religions be so different but in the end they all worship the same God ? |
20 | 4/17/2017 12:58:25 | proctort4@winthrop.edu | Proctor, Taylor | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of this reading was to identify the beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This reading breaks all three down and explains the similarities and differences between the three religions. They all believe in one God, but there is so much more than that | I am a Christian so I could personally connect to where it was talking about that. I also am very knowledgeable about the Old Testament so a lot of this information I knew. | What surprised me mainly were just the amount of similarities between all three religions. They have A LOT in common | My question is since the religions are so similar, is it the same God? Are the religions so similar is bad for us to try and separate them? |
21 | 4/14/2017 0:37:58 | robertse12@winthrop.edu | Roberts, Emmy | Children of Abraham | This book starts talking about the religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This book talks in depth into how the religions are different yet, so similar. By showing all of these different points of view the author shows that it all goes back to Abraham for each of these religions. How each religion interperates Abrahams agreements with God and his sons shows where the difference in each religion started. | The connections I made is that all of these religions have been fighting for many years over land in Israel. This book showed me how important this land is to each religion. Each of these religions claim to be peaceful, yet they fight and do not try to understand each others point of views. Also, that every religion thinks that they are the chosen one from God and that all of the other religions are wrong. After reading the book I realize that these religions are very similar in a lot of different aspects, which is why they all thin the same land is holy. | I always grew up and was friends with people of other religions. I did not understand that there was actually so many things in common, I only ever learned about things that were different. | Do all these religions worship the same God? Why can't these three peaceful religions come to a peaceful agreement over land? How can they be so different yet still have the same core beliefs? |
22 | 4/8/2017 16:34:22 | seleew2@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Selee, Wesley | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of the writer of this reading is the character Abraham and his meetings with god. Yes there are subheading under the thesis. | In this reading, there were no major important connections. However there is perhaps one or small connections. One such connection I made was when the Jews, Christians, and Muslims claimed that they were the ones to inherit the rewards promised. The connection I made to this is I have a friend who believes that she deserves to get whatever she wants and believes its her destiny to get them. | What surprised me is when it talks about the research of the Pharisees. This surprised me because I usually try to be scientific and this may suggest that there may be science in religion even if only a little. I was also surprise about the paragraph that talks about historians and how they should proceed. I never would have imagined that religious groups and those affiliated with those groups would keep such detailed records about their history. | Who is Josephus and what connection does he have to the gospels? Who are the authors of the Books of Maccabees and why did they name the books that? It is clear to me that many religions have many different sacred cities; but how many cities do each religion have that they consider sacred? What caused the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions to conform to the idea that there is only one GOD? |
23 | 4/7/2017 15:16:05 | sturgillj2@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Sturgill, Jacob | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of this reading was to break down the beliefs and history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The book starts off with a brief discussion about the similarities and differences between the religions. Then moves on to talk about stories from each book and the different perspectives they hold, such as the story of Abraham and his purpose in the sacred text. As you continue to read through the book the promise of the covenant is explained and discussed from various viewpoints, the author then states how Christians, Jews, and Islam believe that THEY are the true inheritors of Gods promise. Later in the chapter, the author talks about the different forms of Judaism and where they originated from. Along with the discussion of the Islam faith and where that originated from, all while tying the story of Jesus into the separate religions. The story of Muhammad was also explained, along with the discussion of the legacy that he left behind. | This reading connects to me because I am a Christian and I have heard the stories that the book discusses, such as the story of Abraham and Jesus. This reading also connects to me because from the various text we have read in class I am more understanding of the different religions such as Judaism and Islam. As a Christian I am aware of the truth claims that come along with the religion, in this reading the author discusses some of what the Christian faith believes and what the other religions believe, which makes it easier to understand due to my Christian standpoint. | I was very surprised to see how the author connects the multiple religions in different ways. I never realized before reading this that Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, had so many common connections. I was also very surprised at the different perspectives of the stories in the sacred text. I found it fascinating to know that these religions have more in common than what I thought they did while still being completely unique in their own way. | Was Ishmael or Issac really sacrificed? Is Abraham the foundation for all three religions? |
24 | 4/10/2017 10:18:48 | tedescob2@winthrop.edu | Tedesco, Bianca | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of the writer of this reading is to show the connection between the three religions of Judaism, Christianity , and Islam. The author's goal is to show that although the religions seem different and people think they are different, they are actually quite similar. | One connection I made is that in today's world, people use religion as such a divide to place distance between each other but with these three major religions they are actually so similar that the people who follow them are more alike then they think. | I was surprised how the author connected these three previously thought polar different religions and made them seem so similar. | If the religions are so similar, what makes them still so different ? |
25 | 4/16/2017 16:26:32 | thomasg6@winthrop.edu | Thomas, Griffin | Children of Abraham | What the author is trying to do is show the inner connections between the three Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. He shows the similarities and differences but he speaks about how Abraham fathered all three religions. He shows that the prophets and holy books in each religion is similar. And how in our society people like to think the three religions are not similar at all. | A connection I made is about the the whole concept of the book. I learned in a class in high school that Abraham fathered all three religions. | Something that surprised me was on how the religions are almost the same but for different time periods. First came Judaism, second came Christianity, Third came Islam. | Can one convert to Judaism? People can convert to Christianity and Islam but what about Judaism? |
26 | 4/10/2017 12:58:36 | torrise2@winthrop.edu | Torris, Emily | Children of Abraham | The main idea of the book is discussing the similarities and differences between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The book starts from the beginning of the three religions and goes into details about when, where, and why the different religions started. | I think the biggest connection I made from the reading was how connected all three of the religions are. It helps me begin to understand why there is so much discontent in the Middle East and why all three religions want that land. | What surprised me the most were all of the similarities the different religions have. I think in today's society Muslims are not portrayed in the best light, but in reality they worship similarly to how other religions worship. | I wish I better understood why there is so much hate between these three religions in certain parts of the world. |
27 | 4/12/2017 14:43:25 | vanherwynend2@mailbox.winthrop.edu | Devonne, vanHerwynen | Children of Abraham | The reading begins by explaining the three religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and they all worship one God. It shows how similar these three religions are while also showing some major differences. They all have their own way of worshiping but go back to Abraham. | The reading connects to me because i am a Christian and grew up being a Christian. We learn about these stories growing up. But now i have a better understanding of the other two religions. | I find it interesting how similar these three religions really are. Growing up, i never learned about Judaism and Islam. I know Judaism was similar to Christianity but did not know about Islam. Although, they are different in their own ways, there is also an obvious similarity between them. | If all three religions believe in one God, why are they so different in their own ways? |
28 | 4/15/2017 21:31:34 | wheelerr5@winthrop.edu | Wheeler, Rylie | Children of Abraham | The central thesis of this reading focuses on the similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three religions not only worship one God, but they worship the same God. The only difference is that the God that they worship is called different names (Yahweh, God the Father, or Allah). The different names often lead people to think that they are worshiping different Gods. Even though these three religions have differences, they all trace back to Abraham. All three of these religions believe in a Book, but they argue over whether the Book is the present Bible, the New Testament, or the Quran. | I am a Christian, but I didn't really have a whole lot of knowledge about other religions. Before reading this, I would often forget that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God. This reading helped me to gain a new perspective on how similar these religions really are. Even though these three religions are similar in many ways, we face conflict with each other. I found it interesting how all of these religions were born from the same event, but are now so different from one another today. It is interesting to think about the hateful ways in which Christians view the other two religions even though we worship the same God. | Before reading this book, I wasn't aware of how similar Christianity, Judaism, and Islam really are. I didn't realize that these three religions all trace back to Abraham. I though that Christians were the only people who were referred to as the Children of Abraham. | What caused each of these religions to be so different? If all of these religions believe in the same God, why do they each have different Books? Why are the scriptures different? |
29 | 4/16/2017 22:13:43 | whitej41@mailbox.winthrop.edu | white, joy | F. E. Peters, Children of Abraham | The key concept of this writing was to show how all of these religions follow the same paths and to show how much each religion is similar to the other two. By doing this it shows how harmonious these religions are without all the suffering humanity add to them. | I connected to the section about the history and meaning behind communion. As a child growing up in the Episcopal church, communion was always my favorite part of the morning. I loved to watch the leaders set up the bread and wine and watch all the antique pieces of silver being used and it always just fascinated me thoroughly. To understand the meaning of it makes the idea of communion even more special to me. | I was surprised by the idea that the big three religions all followed the same basic idea about who God is. All my life, I always assumed that Judaism and Islam were so much more complicated than Christianity, so to learn that they are all intertwined was completely fascinating and shows that there is still so much underlying unity in the world and how everything is connected. | My questions are about the priests and leaders in religions. I want to know how they are separated out and selected? How are they trusted as people to speak the word of God? We trust them to guide us in our God's vision even though they are just regular people like us. Why do we trust them so much? |
30 | 4/10/2017 19:59:51 | wileyz2@winthrop.edu | Wiley, Zachary | Children of Abraham | The main thing that Peters is trying to accomplish from 1-40 is a telling of the history of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. He looks at the similarities and differences between the histories to set up a a background for the rest of the book. | It's interesting seeing how Islam develop from a purely religious perspective. In history classes, we are taught that Islam spread along trade routes because of how popular it was among traders. It essentially said that everyone was equal, so everyone was able to have a chance. When I look at religion I typically look at outside factors of how a religion may have developed and spread (weak government, weaker religions and so on). This book tells the stories from a purely religious perspective and relates the three Abrahamic religions. | Honestly, how similar the religions really are. It's just surprising because in today's society all we see is conflict and persecution. You get a sense of how similar the religions really are at the core of their belief system. | Why was there a need for three religions to arise from Abraham? Surely, God didn't need three different religions to follow him, so why not just make one monotheistic religion? |
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