Shared Stories, Rival Tellings: Early Encounters of Jews, Christians and Muslims

Stanford religious studies professor Gregg presents an in-depth comparison of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim versions and interpretations of familiar stories from the Bible and Qur’an (including Cain and Abel, Sarah and Hagar, and Joseph’s encounter with his master’s wife). Gregg reveals the different ways in which each tradition “fills in the gaps” of the story as it appears in sacred texts to suit each religion’s theological and communal needs at any given time or place. Early interpretations of these stories also show evidence of the encounters between the rival traditions, in retellings that may borrow from a competing tradition or implicitly counter another’s view. Gregg analyzes this “conversation” among the three traditions as it manifests in both written texts and some examples of religious art. This important and well-written work may be too comprehensive and detailed for some lay readers, but its breadth and depth make it a worthwhile investment for students of comparative religion, Judaism, early Christianity, and Islam. (Aug.)