RELIGION 947S, ETHICS 947S
Comparative Religious Studies
Case Study of Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Spring 2025
Mohsen Kadivar, PhD
Wednesdays, 4:40-7:10 pm
Course Description:
Comparative religious studies are among the most vital parts of modern scholarship of religious studies. This approach in addition to critical thinking and historicity provides a deeper, more elaborate, and more realistic understanding of our tradition. Comparative religious studies make clear that our tradition is one among many, with a large area of similarities and parallel teachings with the others. The differences or uniqueness of each teaching, belief, dogma, or creed will be meaningful or at least better understood through this approach.
The seminar offers firstly a general framework and methodology of comparative religious studies. Secondly, this seminar is a case study of Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity & Islam. Each of them is based on key elements such as personal God, His attributes and words, revelation, scripture, prophet or messenger of God, Day of Judgment, ethical values, and rituals. The seminar focuses on the similarities and differences of these three traditions. Arguing on the priority or disadvantage of any of these traditions is not the subject of this seminar. The main goal of the seminar is a better understanding of the key concepts of Abrahamic traditions through comparative religious studies methodology. The seminar discusses theological subjects in the philosophical realm, descriptive not prescriptive, as a historian or an outsider of these traditions, not as an insider or believer. The discussions are purely neutral, critical analysis, historical, and based on modern scholarship of religious studies.
The seminar starts with etymological and historical studies on each tradition and tries to provide a general perspective on the origins and history of each tradition especially in the medieval age. The scripture is the cornerstone of each tradition: the Hebrew Bible, the Old and New Testament, and the Qur’an. What is the role of each of them in their traditions? What is the relationship between revelation, inspiration, and scripture? Is the scripture infallible? What should the believers do in the case of contradiction between revelation or scripture on one hand, and reason or science or historical facts on the other hand?
Faith and belief, their relationship, and differences are the other key concepts of the seminar. We discuss the major theological development and dogma structure of each tradition. God is the ultimate transcendent in Abrahamic traditions. The Lord: Yahweh or Elohim, God the Father, and Allah, are they the same? Are Jews, Christians, and Muslims worshiping the same God? Discussion on His attributes and deeds through comparative method is another main job of the seminar. Incarnation, trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and his crucifixion, are the most controversial issues in comparative theology. The other major theological discussion is free will and predestination in three traditions. Genesis or the story of creation and its relationship with the key concept of original sin is another controversial issue in Abrahamic traditions. Eschatology, life and death, time, afterlife, and salvation are among the most attractive theological aspects of these traditions. The seminar tries to find the weight or importance of eschatology in each tradition.
The seminar offers broad discussions on Covenants, God’s messengers, Biblical and Qur’anic figures especially Abraham and his family, Moses, Jesus & Muhammad. There will be supplementary discussions on sacred cities i.e. Jerusalem and Mecca.
Worship and religious rites are other significant subjects of the seminar. More important than that, are Law, Tradition, Halakhah, and Sharia. What is the function of religious law especially family law in the modern age? Food and drink restrictions are among the most attractive issues in this comparative study.
Ethical Orientation in Abrahamic traditions is the other issue of the seminar. In addition, there will be a few comparative discussions on tolerance, religious freedom, apostasy, and blasphemy. Race, ethnicity, and gender equality are other subjects of our comparative studies.
The last subject of the seminar is interfaith dialogues and violent conflicts in the name of religious radicalism or fundamentalism. We will discuss the initial capacity for peace and the probability of violent interpretation in each tradition. The seminar will focus on a selection of aforementioned subjects in each semester according to the field of interests of the students. The best judges of each tradition are the scholars of that tradition. The seminar texts are chosen from this perspective.