I believe that this course can be best described by using the title of the assigned text. Untangling the Web is what I would say if I only had three words to describe the course, but three words wouldn’t nearly be enough to encompass the complexity and depth of the material. The course is more specifically focused on the Middle East. It is about how by analyzing historical events from as far back as 2000 BCE, we can denounce why the Middle East has been a mess. This course is about explaining the broad issues that have led to the mess that is the present day Middle East. It is not about looking at history with a specific lens, and only paying attention to the easy and most presented details. The goal of the course is to give an audience the
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They share a belief in an all-powerful God. This God is good, knowing, and merciful. The followers and participants of each faith should display their devotion to the God. They also all believe in some sort of key text, whether it is a singular text or multiple texts, there is a consensus that the text or texts are a guiding force in their respective religions. These texts represent and offer the connection between the God and the people. In addition to a God and a text, they also believe that there are specific places in the world that stand out as being especially important and central, both symbolically and in nurturing the connection between man and God. While there are similarities between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there are also differences. These differences include the fact that Jews and Muslims believe that God never assumes physical form. But, for Christians, a physical God in the form of Jesus is an important part of their faith. They also each have their respective differing texts, and the Muslims believe that the texts of the Jews (Hebrew Bible and Torah) and Christians (Old Testament and New Testament) have been corrupted over time and the Qur’an is the text where all issues have been accurately and correctly presented. So although we can point to similarities between Judaism, Islam and Christianity, there are key differences between the religions that can highlighted as sources for conflict and disagreement. The differences are important to understand when trying to understand the inter-play between the Jews, Muslims, and
They share a belief in an all-powerful God. This God is good, knowing, and merciful. The followers and participants of each faith should display their devotion to the God. They also all believe in some sort of key text, whether it is a singular text or multiple texts, there is a consensus that the text or texts are a guiding force in their respective religions. These texts represent and offer the connection between the God and the people. In addition to a God and a text, they also believe that there are specific places in the world that stand out as being especially important and central, both symbolically and in nurturing the connection between man and God. While there are similarities between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there are also differences. These differences include the fact that Jews and Muslims believe that God never assumes physical form. But, for Christians, a physical God in the form of Jesus is an important part of their faith. They also each have their respective differing texts, and the Muslims believe that the texts of the Jews (Hebrew Bible and Torah) and Christians (Old Testament and New Testament) have been corrupted over time and the Qur’an is the text where all issues have been accurately and correctly presented. So although we can point to similarities between Judaism, Islam and Christianity, there are key differences between the religions that can highlighted as sources for conflict and disagreement. The differences are important to understand when trying to understand the inter-play between the Jews, Muslims, and