Customer Reviews

Abraham's Curse: The Roots of Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

5 star:		(2)
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The story of how Abraham could, without question, pack up his son, firewood and a knife and march out to sacrifice Isaac has always bothered me. A test? This book examines the story from Genesis, and an analogous story from the Koran; and the fact that it prefigures the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (who, like Isaac, carried the wood himself). The impact of this story in our history, in which we continue to sacrifice our young on the altar of Democracy, is a work of scholarship that is well-written and easily understood even by non-scholars. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the primal urge to sacrifice, and how much of what we have taken from the story may have been a mis-interpretation: one that has cost millions their lives. Highly recommended.

As much as I thought I knew about the abrahamics and their theologies, this book goes into great detail about the often overlooked significance of the Issac typology and the practice of blood sacrifice in the Near East. Whether you are religious or non-religious, this book is both an affirmation and a wake-up call.

I purchased the book here on Amazon. The Book encompasses all three abrahamic religion and its Gnostic offshoots. His analysis of Basilides vis-a-vis Issac is incredibly insightful.

This book has a lot of history in it. And you find that out by reading it over and over and over. It is like you are back in school and being taught the same lesson over and over and over.

Very interesting and informative. I enjoy books like this. The author does an excellent job.