Reading about Abrahamic religions

[mtbc]

I am reading a book that describes various aspects of the largest Abrahamic religions. So far it has discussed them fairly separately, which means an odd diversity for me in how it feels to read it. I know Christianity well, I have had easy opportunities to find out about Judaism, less so with Islam, though, by odd coincidence, one of my neighbors studied Islam a bit in college. It is curious to experience a book that keeps shifting me between comfortable familiarity, passing acquaintance, and considerable ignorance.

Comments

[wpadmirer]

I'm fascinated by how all three are SO tied together. Their points of divergence are different, but what's most fascinating is that the roots are the same, and yet they are not only really different, but generally dislike each other intensely.

[mtbc]

I'm reminded of some national politics things, like how, while it makes sense that the Czechs and the Slovaks were very eager to split back up into the own countries, some of the talk around that really made them sound far more different than they are. It's like when there's a Greek dish that's rather like a Turkish dish, goodness, don't mention the similarity to the cook, whichever they're from is obviously far better!

There's sure an interesting difference in flavor, though, with the Jews losing the temple and priesthood and suffering diaspora yet trying to keep their roots and the covenant, the way that Christianity emphasizes a move away from legalistic details in its focus on love and resurrection, then Islam brings so much of that kind of thing back, especially with the longer, later suras on various points of governance, and is so steeped in oral tradition.

[mindstalk]

And then of course there are differences within each of three, and more offshoots, like Karaite Judaism (rejects Talmud) or Samaritans (the true Jews with the true Torah, if you ask them; under 1000 of them left but still going).

[mtbc]

Haha, yes, also definitely quite some large differences in style between, say, Byzantine rite, Methodist, and Southern Baptist, or between the more orthodox and liberal Jews. I know less about stylistic rather than theological differences among Islam, my book has sections like Sufi Ideas About Monotheism but I think it's going to talk more about practice later.