The Bible: An Islamic Perspective - The Old Testament (Vol. 1) - Softcover

Jay R. Crook

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1567447279 ISBN 13: 9781567447279

Publisher: Kazi Publications, Inc., 2006

Synopsis

In Volume 1 of The Old Testament: An Islamic Perspective (Volume 1 of A Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible), the author compares the Old Testament stories from the Creation to the end of the Israelite kingdoms with the brief notices about them in the Quran and the fuller stories in a representative medieval Quranic Commentary, that of the Sunni Muslim, Surabadi. The stories are examined in detail from a Muslim point of view, and the differences between the traditional Judaic and Islamic versions explored, as well as the reasons for such differences. The book becomes a journey through the literature and history of the ancient world in search of the context and significance of the stories in the Bible and Islam. Going beyond the familiar Biblical and Islamic stories, it ventures into unfamiliar pagan and non-canonical writings, often with surprising results. The analysis of the stories themselves is preceded by an extensive Introduction examining the credentials of the basic Islamic and Biblical documents of the study, including a detailed examination of modern theories about the textual history and development of the Old Testament, and the effects of the higher criticism, of particular importance for the reader interested in comparative religion. The many topics discussed in Volume 1 include: oral literature, Canaan to Palestine, the Old Testament canon, extra-Biblical writings, the stories of the Creation, Eden, Noah, Abraham and the Patriarchs, and Joseph all of whom figure prominently in Islam as well as in Judaism and Christianity. The Old Testament: An Islamic Perspective is a valuable resource for furthering interfaith dialogue and understanding. A glossary and extensive Bibliographies are included.

About this title

About the Author

Jay R. Crook (Md. Nur) was born in upstate New York, the second son of a clergman, but spent his formative years in the New York metropolitan area. A chance acquaitance awakened his interest in Islamic culture and civilization, and he soon embraced Islam. After completing his military service and saving some money, he traveled to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to study for a few years. He wound up spending most of his working life in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hired by the Peace Corps as a field representative, he finished in 1971 as Deputy Director in the Iran program. He then enrolled in the Doctoral Program of Persian Literature for Foreigners at Tehran University and received his Ph.D. in 1978. His doctoral thesis was A Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible. Much revised and expanded, it has become the core of The New Testament: an Islamic Perspective and its companion volume The Old Testament: an Islamic Perspective. Subsequent to leaving Iran in 1980, he worked as an English teacher in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 1997. He now resides in the American Southwest and has translated several books from Persian into English, including Kashifi’s The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry and Ghazzali’s The Alchemy of Happiness.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kazi Publications, Inc.
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1567447279
• ISBN 13: 9781567447279
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 512