Question

After reading the course material on the rise of monotheism and the major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) answer the following:

Which of the three religions did you know the least about (before reading the materials) and what surprising information did you find out?

What connections can you make between two or more of the major monotheistic religions?

250 words or more.

Answer 1

Faith matters: 7 things Christians, Jews and Muslims share

1. Abraham: the founding father

Abraham is another important figure uniting the three religions. That’s why Christianity, Judaism and Islam are referred to as the Abrahamic religionsAbraham belongs to the Aramaic people and is believed to be the Patriarch of the Jewish people.

According to the Bible, he and his son are said to be the founding fathers of the Arabic people. But wait, there’s more. The Koran also explains that Islam was not a new religion, but muhammad rather to be seen as a continuance of Abraham’s original religion.

2. Jerusalem: common holy city

The historic center of Jerusalem is home to members of all three religions. The Dome of the Rock is holy for Muslims, who worship it as the place from where Muhammad ascended into heaven# to receive revelations from God. Jerusalem is also considered the ancestral homeland# of the Jews. Christians worship Jerusalem as the place where Jesus was buried and resurrected. Among the most important places of Christian worship there is the of the Holy Sepulchre.

3. Scriptures

The scriptures belonging to the three Abrahamic religions have similarities too. The Jewish holy book consists of the Tanakh and the Talmud. Christians Bible:adopted the Tanakh for their Bible#, but call it Old Testament.Muslims believe it represents a spiritual, rather than actual event and that God intervened to save Jesus in what would otherwise have been his final moments (Quran, 4:157).

4. Sing-song

In the past, when churches were teeming with worshippers, a speaking voice alone couldn’t reach those seated in the back pew. The choral tradition of chanting and singing has its roots in the attempt to repair this acoustic deficit. Whether it’s church Gospel music, the chanting tradition in synagogues or the characteristic Muslim call to prayer, all these vocal traditions can be traced back to this primary need to get the message across.
5. Pilgrimage

Mecca is thefamous destination for Muslim pilgrims# while Jews journey to pilgrimage:Jerusalem# and Roman Catholics to Santiago de Compostela.

6. The unspoken name

In all three religions, there are both common and specific names for “God”

7. Need for space

In an increasingly secularized world, it can be hard for a religious person on the move to find a place to worship. But many public places, like airports, universities and hospitals now offer dedicated interreligious prayer rooms. These are rooms that were jointly created by people of a number of different faiths and where any believer can enjoy a moment of personal reflection. These spaces are neutral in design and tend to avoid displaying symbols of any kind. There is one exception though: the internationally recognized, and pretty uncontroversial, emergency exit signs which hang on the wall.

Judiasm is the religious i least know about.

2. Judaism believes in Heaven and Hell:

But probably not the version you're imagining.

The Afterlife is an expression of the relationship to God and spirituality that we have nurtured and developed in this world. The way one experiences the Afterlife is totally dependent upon his preparation beforehand. Each choice in this world shapes who we are and creates either connection or disconnection to the Next World.

Imagine two people listening to a concert. One of them studied music composition, read about the composer and is highly attuned to all the details involved in creating this symphony. For him the concert is a rich and deeply fulfilling experience. The other person was dragged along and hates classical music. For him the concert is boring, even painful.

One concert, two very different kinds of experiences.

Our essence does not undergo a major transformation when we leave this world. It’s just the opposite. Our essence is fully expressed in the Next World. The pain of disconnection and the acute awareness of what we could have been if we would have chosen differently is the Jewish view of Hell.