Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Library of Jewish Ideas, 3)

Jon Levenson's excellent Inheriting Abraham unravels the myth of a common Abrahamic faith, joining historical analysis with an understanding of transcendent religious values. His approach to the biblical persona of Abraham is a refreshing contrast with both a narrow religious mentality and a "scientific" massacre of religious text. Levenson's prose style is a model of clarity and elegance.Levenson asks penetrating questions about the religious psychodrama of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac, and while offering many intriguing explanations he is modest in not pretending to give final answers. His careful deconstruction of the misunderstandings about the concept of "chosen people" is illuminating for those who mistakenly believe that this idea implies some kind of superiority. Scattered here and there are nice touches of humor like "implanted like a microchip in his kidney" about the origin of Abraham's recognition of God.It is instructive to learn about Paul's use of pre-Mosaic Abraham to argue for the irrelevance of Jewish law, a fundamental divergence of Christianity from Judaism. And for Christians, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his beloved son prefigures the central Christian drama of the Divine sacrifice of Christ.Islam's claim to Abraham as a Muslim, many centuries after the appearance of Abraham in the Biblical account, and its view of both Christianity and Judaism as perversions of the real Abraham, are helpful in understanding the basic gulf between the religions. While not ignoring some common ground, Levenson emphasizes the fundamental differences which make the idea of an umbrella Abrahamic faith unacceptable. He makes the strong point that describing Christianity or Islam as Abrahamic is to accept the Christian or Islamic theologic position.Traditional Jews may not be happy with Levenson's notion that the figure of Abraham in the later rabbinic texts is a development related to, but separate from, the Abraham of the Bible. The classic Jewish tradition holds that an oral legacy parallels the written word of the Bible, and this oral dimension of Judaism was eventually written down in the centuries beginning around the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. How Levenson sees the relationship of Sinaitic revelation to rabbinic or Second Temple Judaism is not clear in this book. Did midrash and Mishnah evolve much later or did they exist, like an oral genetic code, from the beginning only to become manifest later?In sum, Inheriting Abraham is a fascinating and timely book. As we see Islam in conflict with other faiths in Europe, Africa and Asia, Levenson's superb study illumines at a radical level why peaceful co-existence will need to find a more solid foundation than a common understanding of the meaning of Abraham.

This book is very interesting and makes you look at the subject of the old testament in a different light. I have read the bible cover to cover many times but will now read it differently, looking for some of the subtile relationships the characters display. However, you need to keep a good dictionary next to you while reading. I have a law degree and think I know the English language pretty well, but not like Mr. Levenson does.

Interesting comparing 3 major religions of world who believe Abraham was important for the origins of their beliefs. However, too much discussion on Jewish beliefs and lack of discussion on Muslim beliefs.

This will give you a great perspective on Abraham from the point of views of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Well written, readable, and very fair. It also contains one of the best appreciations i've seen of the theology of the Apostle Paul. Abraham is a perfect starting point for diving into each of those three religions.

Fascinating insights, and Levenson covers a great deal of ground. However, sometimes the amount of information and analysis is somewhat overwhelming.

The information in the book does not match up with the cover. I received a book with he correct cover but incorrect contents.

The book started off quite well but later I noticed that the author seemed to be tilted toward Judaism. The author separates Protestants from Christians and doesn't provide an accurate interpretation of general Protestant beliefs.

An excellent work. Scholarly researched yet very readable. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim readers will discover things that challenge their beliefs but also enlighten them.