The Monotheists: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Conflict, Volumes I and II: Two-volume slipcase set

The world's three great monotheistic religions have spent most of their historical careers in conflict or competition with each other. And yet in fact they sprung from the same spiritual roots and have been nurtured in the same historical soil. This book - a comprehensive and approachable comparative introduction to these religions - seeks not so much to demonstrate the truth of this thesis as to illustrate it. Frank Peters takes Judaism, Christianity and Islam and after briefly tracing the roots of each, places them side-by-side to show both their similarities and their differences. Volume I, "The Peoples of God", tells the story of the foundation and formation of the three monotheistic communities, of their visible, historical presence. Volume II, "The Words and Will of God", is devoted to their inner life, the spirit that animates and regulates them. Peters takes us to where these religions live: their scriptures, laws, institutions and intentions; how each seeks to worship God and achieve salvation; and how they deal with their own (orthodox and heterodox) and with others (the goyim, the pagans, the infidels). Throughout, he measures - but never judges - one religion against the other. "The Monotheists" is an authoritative comparison, for students and general readers as well as scholars, of the parties to one of the most troubling issues of today - the fierce, sometimes productive and often destructive, competition among the world's monotheists, the siblings called Jews, Christians and Muslims.

About the Author :
F. E. Peters is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, and History at New York University. His books include "Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians"; "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam"; and "The Children of Abraham" (all Princeton).

Review :
A titanic undertaking... The learning behind [it] is so exceptional that I can easily understand why Peters chose not to provide the reader with an account of all the primary sources and second scholarship they distill... The Monotheists is not exceptional for [its] detachment alone, or for its erudition, or even for its originality. It is exceptional because Peters has created a new genre for it. I doubt that anyone will soon offer a second effort in this demanding new genre. But no matter: Peter's first effort--a major accomplishment by any measure -- is destined to remain in use for a very long while. -- Jack Miles Los Angeles Times Anyone who has attempted to concentrate on the history of only one of these three faiths must admire both the imagination of the enterprise and the elegance of the results. In 800 pages of very readable exposition, Peters demonstrates a command of highly complex materials, a sensitivity to the nuances of religious beliefs and practices in each tradition, and what Max Weber called 'musicality,' the opposite of the historical tone-deafness that so often marks the outsider's interpretation of other and alien faiths. -- Jaroslav Pelikan Claremont Review of Books