Using lecture and discussion, this course surveys the religions that arise from Western tradition and thought – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism’s origins stem from the tradition of the patriarchal narrative of Abraham; and Christianity’s from the matriarchal lineage of Sarah. Islamic faith also originates from Abraham, but finds its roots in the matriarchal tradition of Hagar. Each of these beliefs has sacred texts, dogmas, rituals and symbols that are often starkly different from one another, yet share a common heritage. Explore the bases of these faiths, and gain a new understanding about how humans demonstrate what it means to be religious.

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