Claiming Abraham - by Michael Lodahl (Paperback)

About the Book

Explores how Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other biblical characters are presented in the Qur'an to help Christians better understand Islam.

Book Synopsis

Many of the Bible's characters and stories are also found in the Qur'an, but there are often differing details or new twists in the Qur'an's retelling of biblical narrative. In this compelling book, seasoned theologian Michael Lodahl explores these fascinating divergences to discover the theological difference they make.

Writing from a Christian perspective that is respectful of the Islamic tradition, Lodahl offers an accessible introduction to Muslim theology and to the Qur'an's leading themes to help readers better understand Islam. Lodahl compares and contrasts how the Bible and the Qur'an depict and treat certain characters in common to both religions, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. He offers theological reflection on doctrines held in common by Christians and Muslims, such as creation, revelation, and the resurrection of the body. Lodahl also explores the Jewish tradition as an important source for understanding the Qur'an.

From the Back Cover

"Michael Lodahl reads the Qur'an alongside the Bible he professes and also the rabbinic commentary he admires. Through the pages of this lovingly crafted book, all Abrahamic believers are invited to feast together on God's word."--Peter Ochs, University of Virginia

"Claiming Abraham is a lively and succinct theological presentation of religious traditions from the point of view of their own exponents. Lodahl offers the reader the considerable assets of personal sensitivity along with a clear exposition of ideas and concepts. A work of acute reflection that combines integrity with charitableness."--Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School; director, World Christianity Initiative at Yale

"In a novel approach to interreligious dialogue, Lodahl puts the Bible and the Qur'an in conversation with one another. The result is a fascinating study that shows how the two scriptures often draw upon and reshape the same pool of traditions. A fine guide for those interested in exploring the shared scriptural heritage of Jews, Christians, and Muslims and its implications for the future."--John Kaltner, Rhodes College

"Claiming Abraham offers readers an introduction to the relationship between the Bible and the Qur'an that is both easy to understand and rich in detail. Most impressively, Lodahl avoids clichés and superficial assumptions by illustrating how these religious traditions are more often in disagreement than in agreement over figures such as Adam, Abraham, and Jesus. Ultimately, Lodahl presents an account of these matters that is marked by candor, clarity, and a firm grounding in Christian theology."--Gabriel Said Reynolds, University of Notre Dame

"Scholars will find this book brimming with comparative/interreligious and exegetical/intertextual insights. For all other readers, including those wondering if it is possible to acknowledge the revelatory status of the Qur'an while remaining committed to faith in Christ, Claiming Abraham accessibly engages the theological matters at stake in ways that, if taken seriously, will both deeply inform Christian faith in a pluralistic world and transform the next generation of Christian-Muslim relations."--Amos Yong, Regent University School of Divinity

"Claiming Abraham has recourse to a fine repertoire of skills in reading scripture and in theological interpretation, to lead us on a journey of discovery of the similarity-in-difference that characterizes the ways Christianity and Islam can be seen to relate to one another. 'Similarity-in-difference' is the key, for each will prove illuminating in understanding the other. . . . Our conversation does indeed go on . . . and the better so in the wake of careful comparative studies like this one."--David Burrell, CSC, Uganda Martyrs University

About the Author

Michael Lodahl (PhD, Emory University) is professor of theology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, and has studied extensively in Israel and Jordan. He is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and has served congregations in three states. Lodahl is the author of several books, including "The Story of God: A Narrative Theology."