Abraham and His Children
Course Description
Aims of the Course
 To study the call and mission of Abraham
 To consider the relevant Hebrew, Christian, and Muslim texts
 To identity the common heritage of the three Abrahamic faiths as well as their respective distinctives
 To be renewed in one's faith and resourced for interfaith dialogue in one's home context
The course includes:
 Site visits to relevant Abrahamic sites in Israel / Palestine
 Speakers and experiences representing all three Abrahamic faiths, and including attendance at Jewish
and Islamic places of worship.
 Group discussions on the Abrahamic texts.
Key Primary Texts: Genesis 11 - 25
Key Secondary Text: Jon D. Levenson, Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam
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A 12-day Old Testament course focusing upon the Abrahamic narratives of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 1125) and the traditions of Abraham as developed in the Talmud, New Testament and Quran, Abraham and
His Children is also an interfaith course. The course encounters numerous ‘Abrahams’ among and within the
three monotheistic traditions and asks whether the figure of Abraham can, in fact, be a central, unifying
force among the ’children of Abraham’. Course themes include hospitality, pilgrimage, faith and failure,
strangers and aliens, reconciliation and the sacredness of relationships.
Christianity: The course explores the image of Abraham in the New Testament and the writings of St Paul.
The course also discusses Abraham and the Early Church Fathers as well as the influence of Abraham on the
tradition of Christian pilgrimage. The course includes visits to a few Christian monasteries and holy sites,
including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Opportunities for Christian worship are provided.
Judaism: The course explores the Inter-Testamental and Rabbinic traditions of Abraham. Besides the places
related to the Genesis narratives, site visits include Safed/Tzfat, the Bet Alpha Synagogue, a tour of the
Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. The course include an audience with
a local rabbi(s), attendance at a Friday evening Shabbat service and a possible Shabbat dinner.
Islam: The course explores the image of Abraham in the Quran. Site visits include the Haram esh-Sharif and
attendance at a local mosque. While Islam is encountered and discussed throughout the course and the
course's implications for Christian-Islam relationships are examined, please note that St George's College
offers a course focused exclusively on Christian - Muslims relations, 'Sharing Perspectives: Christians and
Muslims in the Holy Land'. Consequently, Abraham and His Children focuses slightly more upon the
historical and contemporary traditions of Judaism than it does upon the traditions of Islam.
Sectarian Ideas: The idea of Abraham as the unifying figure of the region -- a figure of peace, reconciliation
and hospitality, which transcends the particularisms of the three Abrahamic religions is also explored. See,
for instance, the vision of the Abraham Path, a new regional walking path.
Site Visits: Children of Abraham has a particular focus and does not include holy sites that are not related to
the specific themes and narratives of the course. Moreover, the course is ideal for those who have already
visited the Holy Land. Therefore, the course intentionally takes participants to sites and locations that are not
included in many of the other St George's College courses.
Site visits, which depend upon local conditions, may include, but are not limited to:
Hebron (Tomb of Abraham)
Nablus (Ancient Shechem, Jacob's Well)
Tel Be'er Sheva
Tel Dan
Safed/Tzfat
Qumran and the Dead Sea
Jordan River Baptism Site
Bet Alpha Synagogue
Jerusalem Sites
The Monastery of the Holy Cross
The Haram esh-Sharif / Temple Mount
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Mount of Olives
Yad-Vashem Holocaust Museum
Bedouin Overnight Experience
The course includes a one-night Bedouin desert experience which involves sleeping in cabins/tents with
sleeping bags on simple mattresses. Ample flush toilets and hot showers are provided. The experience
includes a short camel ride as well as dinner and breakfast.
Abraham and His Children
Reading List
Course participants should become familiar with the Abrahamic narratives of Genesis 11 - 25.
Primary Texts: References to Abraham in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 11 - 25), the New Testament and the
Quran. Students should also explore the traditions of Abraham in the Talmud and the writings of the Church
Fathers. These can be found through simple internet searches.
Secondary Text (The course text book): Jon D. Levenson, Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the
Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Biblical Commentary on Genesis
Students should read a good biblical commentary on Genesis. We recommend Genesis: Interpretation: A
Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching by Walter Brueggemann (2010).
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Additional Reading
No additional reading is necessary for the course. However, below are additional books related to the theme
of Abraham and His Children.
Michael Lodahl, Claiming Abraham: Reading the Bible and the Qur'an Side by Side
F.E. Peters, The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam: A New Edition
Armstrong, Karen
The Battle for God (2001)
Delaney, Carol
Abraham on Trial (1998)
Dennis, Trevor
Sarah Laughed (1994)
Feiler, Bruce
Abraham. A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (2002)
Harries, Richard, Tim Winter Jews Christians and Moslems in Conversation (2005)
and Norman Solomon (eds.)
Halevi, Jossi Klein
At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden (2001)
Kessler, Edward
Bound by the Bible. Jews, Christians and the Sacrifice of Isaac (2005)
Kuschel, Karl Joseph
Abraham. A Sign of Hope for Jews, Christians and Moslems (1995)
Spiegel, Shalom
The Last Trial (1969)
Trible, Phyllis
Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (2006)