Comparative History of Monotheisms: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Catalog description

This course compares the history and traditions of three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three traditions are examined comparatively under seven rubrics: Scripture, Authority, Monotheism, Ritual and Worship, Ethics, Material Culture, and Political Organization. The various connections made throughout the course between and among the religions studied will enable students 1. to identify variations on ideas common to each, 2. to discern influences some have exerted upon others, and 3. to understand the various distinctives that have developed within each. Besides learning information about these three religious traditions, the goal of this course is to understand that even religious traditions that claim to be timeless and divinely revealed are affected by the ebb and flow of human activity within particular historical, cultural, and environmental contexts. Also offered as HIST 068 . ( GE2B , GEWE )