Upcoming Lecture: “‘Our Father’: The Medieval Abrahamic Religion(s)”

Upcoming Lecture: “‘Our Father’: The Medieval Abrahamic Religion(s)”

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The Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan will host a webinar featuring Sarah Strousma of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem titled “Our Father’: The Medieval Abrahamic Religion(s).” The webinar will begin at 12:00 PM on February 11.

Description: In contemporary parlance, the term “Abrahamic religions” serves to indicate the common ground of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The designation of these three religions as “Abrahamic” is used as a shorthand for their supposed common ancestry as well as for their assumed shared religious principles and values. Since its very purpose is to highlight the commonality of the three religions, the term is always used in the plural. For medieval thinkers in the Islamicate world, however, the Abrahamic model of religion was radically different from the contemporary one.

Advanced registration is required. Interested readers can sign up here.

Sarah Strousma is the Alice and Jack Ormut Professor Emerita of Arabic Studies. She taught in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature and the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she served as the Rector of the University from 2008 until 2012. Her area of academic focus includes the history of philosophical and theological thought in Arabic in the early Islamic Middle Ages, Medieval Judaeo-Arabic literature, and intellectual history of Muslims and Jews in Islamic Spain.

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© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2021. All rights reserved.

Jesus and Islam (Jésus et l’islam) – NEW Documentary

By Emran El-Badawi

Jésus et l'islam (arte.tv)

Jésus et l’islam (arte.tv)

Six hours and thirty minutes is the duration of the new seven part documentary series on Jesus and Islam. The film Jésus et l’islam / Jesus und der Islam is presented in three versions (French, German and English) and features twenty six academic specialists from around the world–including several current and former IQSA members. The specialists include historians, philologists, theologians, archeologists, experts on manuscripts and other subjects. The film was directed by Jérôme Prieur and Gérard Mordillat and is a production of Archipel 33, ARTE and in collaboration with the Centre National du Cinema and the Bibliothèque Nationale.

The documentary film was aired the week of December 8 and has been widely acclaimed in the French and German media. The film itself was in production for years, where directors Prieur and Mordillat methodically crafted a documentary exploring the role of Jesus in shaping Islam. The most important text for consideration, therefore, was the Qur’an–Islam’s holiest scripture and oldest historical document. In doing so the directors have asked the experts questions about the distinctly Islamic theological perspective on Christ and how and why it differs from Christianity. As the film demonstrates answering such questions can be complex and even controversial. Therefore, it also introduces viewers to the different academic schools (traditionalist, revisionist or otherwise) and their perspectives on the Qur’an, Jesus and Muhammad.

Jérôme Prieur and Gérard Mordillat (arte.tv)

Jérôme Prieur and Gérard Mordillat (arte.tv)

Each part of Jesus and Islam explores a major theme. The seven themes are:

  1. The crucifixion according to the Qur’an
  2. The origins of the text
  3. The son of Mary
  4. The prophet’s emigration
  5. The religion of Abraham
  6. The book of Islam
  7. Jesus according to Muhammad
Jésus selon Mahomet (seiul.com)

Jésus selon Mahomet (seiul.com)

The seventh part of the series also inspired a book, Jésus selon Mahomet,in which the directors discuss their own views and perspectives. Prieur and Mordillat are seasoned writers and film directors who, among other things, specialize in documentary films on the history and formation of the Abrahamic religions. Their earlier works include Corpus Christi, L’Origine du Christianisme and L’apocalypse.

There will be an exclusive, members only screening of Jesus and Islam at the next IQSA annual meeting on November 18-21, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. CLICK HERE  to renew your IQSA membership for 2016 NOW!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2015.