Charles Kimball is Presidential Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma, he is also the author of the book When Religion Becomes Lethal. Moving from chapter 1 in which Professor Kimball introduced Islam, we move on to chapter 2 which is titled, “God Gave Us This Land” digs deeper into the roots of religion and politics in Judaism.
We begin the chapter by discussing the Islamic Mosque of Abraham, the mosque if 30 miles south of Jerusalem. This mosque is the burial site for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah. On February 25th 1994, this holy place was the spot for a mass murder. Over a hundred palestinian Muslim men and boys were gathering for morning prayer at the mosque, Baruch Goldstein, an …show more content…
Summing up the basic story of Abraham because it is the foundation where many theological and political claims finally rest. In the biblical story, Abraham responds to God’s order to move his household to the land in which God promises to provide him. When hunger strikes the land that was given to Abraham by God, Abraham and his wife Sarah are forced to leave to Egypt. They later return to the Promised Land, 10 years later they both still have no children, Sarah being too old to have kids, she creates a plan where Abraham will have a heir through Sarah’s Egyptian slave. The plan ends up being successful, the son is named Ishmael, 15 years later Sarah bears a son, Isaac, who is born. Sarah is threatened by Ishmael and advises Abraham to send Sarah and Ishmael away; in spite of Abraham’s anxiety, god tells him to obey Sarah’s wishes. Although Isaac is the next heir of God’s promise to Abraham, Ishmael will soon become a father of a great nation whose descendants will multiply. Ismael laster becomes the link in which Arabs and Muslims trace their connection to Abraham. For Muslims, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac are looked at as prophets. The final mention of Ismael indicates that there was still communication between Abraham and both of his sons. When Abraham died, both Isaac and Ishmael are there to bury him. For Jews, Christians, and Muslims Abraham is a spiritual leader, and prophetic figure. The second half of the Genesis tells the stories of two generations of Kings who follow the death of Sarah and Abraham. The second part of the Genesis ends with the story of Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Ten of the brothers plan to get rid of Joseph, Jacob’s most beloved son. Joseph ends up in Egypt and rises to a top position under the pharaoh, when danger strikes the land, the brothers leave to Egypt for relief, only to be approached by their brother
We begin the chapter by discussing the Islamic Mosque of Abraham, the mosque if 30 miles south of Jerusalem. This mosque is the burial site for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah. On February 25th 1994, this holy place was the spot for a mass murder. Over a hundred palestinian Muslim men and boys were gathering for morning prayer at the mosque, Baruch Goldstein, an …show more content…
Summing up the basic story of Abraham because it is the foundation where many theological and political claims finally rest. In the biblical story, Abraham responds to God’s order to move his household to the land in which God promises to provide him. When hunger strikes the land that was given to Abraham by God, Abraham and his wife Sarah are forced to leave to Egypt. They later return to the Promised Land, 10 years later they both still have no children, Sarah being too old to have kids, she creates a plan where Abraham will have a heir through Sarah’s Egyptian slave. The plan ends up being successful, the son is named Ishmael, 15 years later Sarah bears a son, Isaac, who is born. Sarah is threatened by Ishmael and advises Abraham to send Sarah and Ishmael away; in spite of Abraham’s anxiety, god tells him to obey Sarah’s wishes. Although Isaac is the next heir of God’s promise to Abraham, Ishmael will soon become a father of a great nation whose descendants will multiply. Ismael laster becomes the link in which Arabs and Muslims trace their connection to Abraham. For Muslims, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac are looked at as prophets. The final mention of Ismael indicates that there was still communication between Abraham and both of his sons. When Abraham died, both Isaac and Ishmael are there to bury him. For Jews, Christians, and Muslims Abraham is a spiritual leader, and prophetic figure. The second half of the Genesis tells the stories of two generations of Kings who follow the death of Sarah and Abraham. The second part of the Genesis ends with the story of Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Ten of the brothers plan to get rid of Joseph, Jacob’s most beloved son. Joseph ends up in Egypt and rises to a top position under the pharaoh, when danger strikes the land, the brothers leave to Egypt for relief, only to be approached by their brother