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Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (P.S.)
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| Part No: | 0060838663 |
| Manufacturer: | Harper Perennial |
| MFG Part: | |
| Customer Rating: | 3.5 / 5.0 |
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At a time when conflicts among three of the world's major religions--Islam, Judaism, and Christianity--are in the global spotlight, Bruce Feiler offers a stunning biography of the one man who unites all three religions: Abraham. "The most mesmerizing story of Abraham's life--his offering a son to God--plays a pivotal role in the holiest week of the Christian year, at Easter," writes Feiler. "The story is recited at the start of the holiest fortnight in Judaism, on Rosh Hashanah. The episode inspires the holiest day in Islam, '
Id al-Adha,' the Feast of the Sacrifice, at the climax of the Pilgrimage. And yet the religions can't even agree on which son he tried to kill." Herein lies the irony and perfection of Feiler's timing. As we struggle to find a path to peace among these three religions, all warring in Jerusalem, near the stone where Abraham brought his son for sacrifice, this captivating biography speaks to Abraham as the metaphor he is: the historically elusive man who embodies three religions, a character who has shape-shifted over the millennia to serve the clashing goals and dogma of each religion.
Anyone seeking to understand the roots of tension in the Middle East need look no further than the final half of this book, where Feiler interprets the meaning of Abraham as seen through the prism of each religion. Surprisingly, the book is as entertaining as it is thoughtful: Feiler is a masterful writer with a warm, humorous voice, a dazzling way with metaphors, and an underlying intelligence that comes through in every passage. Abraham deserves the highest of recommendations. --Gail Hudson
Both immediate and timeless, Abraham tells the powerful story of one man's search for the shared ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Traveling through war zones, braving violence at religious sites, and seeking out faith leaders, Bruce Feiler uncovers the defining yet divisive role that Abraham plays for half the world's believers. Provocative and uplifting, Abraham offers a thoughtful and inspiring vision of unity that redefines what we think about our neighbors, our future, and ourselves.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
| Fair and Balanced - Great Historical Read | 2010-04-15 | 5 / 5 |
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| I picked up this book because I'm a history buff and have found that the interesting stories of the Old Testament were rather glossed over my childhood Sunday School classes and adult church services. I found the stories as told by Bruce Feiler fascinating and I really enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between the three faiths. Knowing that the author was jewish, I was prepared for a jewish slant, but found he treated all three religions very fairly and gave equal time to all. His conclusion is that all three religions have interpreted Abraham for their own, that generations in each religion have and will continue to re-interpret Abraham, and that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It only becomes a bad thing when one religion tries to claim Abraham (and other religious figures, events, practices)exclusivley for itself and shut out the other religions. I listened to this book on audio cd and enjoyed listening to the author read the book himself. His extensive research and enthusiasm for the subject made for a great audio book. |
| My journey | 2010-03-27 | 5 / 5 |
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This book gives a fascinating look at the past by bringing it to life in terms of our modern
life. I would recommend it to others who like myself, are searching for a distant root.
Bruce is a master at this subject. Plese read all his books. |
| Panoramic on the Patriarch | 2010-03-17 | 4 / 5 |
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Bruce Feiler lives life to the fullest. He learns. He travels. He experiences deeply spiritual journeys. He writes well, and using his literary skills along with the other things noted above, Feiler produces books that take us with him on each grandiose voyage. His book, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, does not disappoint.
As in his other works, Walking the Bible and Where God Was Born, Feiler openly identifies himself as a man of Jewish faith raised in the American South. His cultural context clearly noted, he then dives into the murky waters of searching for truth. Abraham may well be the most difficult project for Feiler as a man of faith. He painstakingly notes numerous ways in which followers of his own ethnic and religious tradition has molded sacred texts and crafted oral tradition so as to support their own agenda. He treats commentators and interpreters of Islam and Christianity in like fashion.
Across the narrative, the book gives a snapshot of Islam, Christianity and the Jewish religion with emphasis on how each claims a foundation in the patriarch Abraham.
Abraham provides a close investigation of the multifaceted and crafty, traveling monotheist. Using the texts of the Hebrew Bible, the Koran and numerous commentaries, Brue Feiler struggles with the dualism of Abraham, as both a unifier and a divider. Unquestionably for the majority of the world's religious followers, Abraham stands as a father of polemic children, making him the father of three international and contentious religions. Indeed Abraham is the father of the faith. Given all who claim lineage, Abraham's promise of offspring numbering as many as the grains of sand came to fruition. Can the father figure Abraham heal his larger than life, fractured and estranged family as it exists today?
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| Great Read | 2010-03-09 | 5 / 5 |
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| THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ABRAHAM. IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER IF THE AUTHOR WOULD ALSO HAVE READ THE LDS BOOK CALLED THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE!! IT GIVES AN EVEN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ABRAHAM |
| Bringing together the thinking of 3 faiths | 2010-02-06 | 5 / 5 |
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| Best read on the subject. Enlightening, showing how the history of religion has been manipulated by three faiths for their own people set in the times of the writing. |
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