In Jerusalem a quarter of a century ago, I heard the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin mis-identify Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as the three monolithic faiths. He meant, of course, the three monotheistic faiths.
From a distance, they may look monolithic but Charles Cohen, University of Wisconsin Emeritus Professor of American Institutions, says they are far from monolithic.
Cohen, who directed the former Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions at the University of Wisconsin from 2005-2016, discussed what he called the “Braided Histories” of the three traditions in a February 5 lecture at Upper House. The lecture followed the recent publication of his new book, The Abrahamic Religions, by Oxford Press.
Sometimes the three monotheistic traditions are categorized together as People of the Book. But Cohen prefers Abrahamic faiths, and he uses braided histories to denote that each faith is a distinct part of a larger whole. His book is not a comprehensive overview. “It’s the basis of a conversation,” he said. A good starting place to get a handle on the three religions that impact so much of contemporary events.
The development of the three religions, Judaism first, then Christianity, then Islam, did not take place in a vacuum, he observed. Christianity and Judaism canonized their texts at the same time, following the emergence of the Christian faith and the destruction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem. “They were aware of what each other was doing,” he said. “Then the emergence of Islam in the seveth century added further complexity.”
Cohen described the character of Mohammed as a combination of Jesus, Paul, and Constantine all rolled into one. He pointed out that the Crusades were more than a war against Islam. “It wasn’t one sided, there’s a Muslim side too,” he said.
He noted that Christianity did not succeed in invading Islam as much as outflanking it in later centuries after the Crusades. He noted the sectarian splits in Judaism in the 19th century, in a way not seen since the first century.
He noted the term, “Judaeo-Christian ethic” of shared values comes from twentieth century American culture and would sound strange in earlier centuries when the two faiths were more against each other. But it was useful in demarginalizing the Jews.
He noted that 1,000 years ago Islamic scholars played an important role in preserving cultural heritage by translating the classical works of antiquity.
He lamented that the patriarch Abraham is known for his hospitality. “Why shouldn’t his children share that quality,” he mused. “I’m trying to break down these monoliths so that we can talk with each other.”