While Abraham is often seen as a common starting point for dialogue among monotheistic faith communities, many approaches to “Abrahamic dialogue” do not grapple with the Abrahamic texts of Genesis and the Qur’an in enough detail for meaningful comparison. This work introduces a model for comparing particular Biblical and Qur’anic narratives, along with their use by Christians and Muslims respectively. Bristow builds on the tight connection between narrative and worldview to enable theological comparison of these distinct but related worldviews. The Biblical/Christian worldview categories of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consummation are juxtaposed with Qur’anic/Muslim categories of Tawhid (Oneness of God), Prophethood and Afterlife in three sets of polarities in order to catalyze deeper comparison. The main body of the study examines the Genesis Abraham narrative, the New Testament treatments of Abraham, the Qur’anic Abraham stories, and finally the use of Abraham by Turkish Muslims. This prepares the way for theological comparison of Christian and Muslim worldviews as expressed in their respective uses of Abraham. Despite some common ground, these worldviews diverge deeply in each of the major polarities. The beginning of the story, with God as the sovereign creator of all things, and humanity entrusted with a particular set of responsibilities as God’s special creation, and the end of the story, with resurrection, judgment and heaven and hell, have significant common elements. But the rest of the story, comprising most of the Biblical narrative, is vastly different. Looking through the lens of Abraham narratives, the two worldviews have little in common in terms of either plight or solution. Despite some limited overlap Abraham stands in a different story of God’s relationship to humanity.
George Bristow earned his PhD from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is the author of Vaat: Eski Antlaşmada Tanrının Değişmez Amacı (The Promise of God: God’s Unchangeable Purpose through Human History) and Sürgün Ve Ötesi: Kutsal Kitaptaki Daniel, Hagay, Zekeriya Ve Malaki Bölümleri Üzerine. Since 2009 he has served as coordinator of Hasat Church Ministries, a network serving churches in Turkey.
