The Tent of Abraham:

Stories of Hope and Peace for

Jews, Christians and Muslims

by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Joan Chittister, OSB and

Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti

Foreword by Karen Armstrong

Three key religious thinkers write about the story of Abraham as a way to deepen Muslim/Christian/Jewish understanding.

In recent years there has been an explosion of curiosity and debate about
Islam and about the role of religion, both in the world and in the Arab-
Israeli conflict. The numerous books published on these questions speak to
issues of politics, history, or global security. None speaks to the heart and
the spirit, and yet millions of people experience these issues not as political,
economic, or intellectual questions but as questions of deep spiritual, emotional,
and religious significance.

The Tent of Abraham provides readers with stories that can bring all the
faiths together. Written by Saadi Shakur Chishti, a Scottish American Sufi,
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, an American Jew, and Joan Chittister, a Benedictine
sister, the book explores in accessible language the mythic quality and the
teachings of reconciliation that are embedded in the Torah, the Qur’an, and
the Bible. It also weaves together the wisdoms of the Jewish, Muslim, and
Christian traditions into a deeper, more unified whole.

The Tent of Abraham is the first book to tell the whole story of Abraham as
found in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources and to reenergize it as a
basis for peace.

Joan Chittister, OSB, is a lecturer and best-selling author of numerous books, including Called to Question. She lives in Erie, Pennsylvania. Rabbi Arthur Waskow is the director of The Shalom Center in Philadelphia and author of numerous books, including Seasons of Our Joy (Beacon/ 3611-0/ $18.00 pb) and Down-to-Earth Judaism. Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti (Neil Douglas-Klotz) is an internationally known Sufi scholar and writer. His most recent book is The Sufi Book of Life.

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Reviews:

"At a time when we have seen too much certainty, The Tent of Abraham
reminds us that the kind of confusion, fear, and dismay that so many of
us are experiencing can be the start of a new religious quest... The
Tent of Abraham brings three religious traditions together so that we
may all become more familiar with the faiths lived by the strangers
around us."
-Karen Armstrong, from the Foreword

“The Palestinian/Israeli conflict has elicited many books exhorting political and religious peace in the Middle East, but none has appealed to individual minds and hearts quite like this one… Delicate in telling but bold in message, the book encourages every reader to take an inner pilgrimage to understand better others’ viewpoints.”
-Library Journal, starred review

"Evok(es) the 'open tent' policy of Abraham, who welcomed all visitors to his home...."

-Publishers Weekly

“This book will open your eyes to the possibilities for collaborative work between our traditions, and is a must-read for those doing interfaith peacework.”
-Tikkun

“[A] celebration of religious diversity that is likely to leave readers more optimistic about the potential for peace.”
-David Crumm, Detroit Free Press

"...explores in accessible language the mythic quality and teachings of reconciliation that are embedded in the Torah, the Quran and the Bible."

-Jewish Book World

"If you hve any concern for peace (particularly in the Middle East) or for interfaith work (particularly among the three Abrahamic faiths), The Tent of Abraham is a must-read. But as soon as you're done with it, give it away or loan it out. It needs to reach as many people as possible."

-The American Muslim

"Each of the authors is deeply open to other traditions, and they do the work that feminist theologians have long called "reimagining" the story and its significance to the peace process today."

-Books to Watch Out For

"When we share our spiritual journeys, even when the stories of our
lives are different from each other, we often find their source in the
Compassionate One who calls on us to be compassionate. So it is when we
share the stories of our great family, the Family of Abraham, peace be
upon him. This book shares our different stories in ways that beckon us
toward peace and toward the One."
-Sayyid M. Syeed, Ph.D., Secretary General, Islamic Society of North
America

"To find such a mixture--of Midrash and Koran, of Bible and contemporary journeys--is a rare delight. And the book ends with resources for practical peacemaking. If you are going to buy only one interfaith book, this has to be the one."

-Manna: The Forum for Progressive Judaism

"We have seen all too much evidence of how the three Western faiths can
be used to foment hatred and bloodshed. People really must read this
book, for the choice of interpreting our three faiths as the grounds for
war or for peace is nothing less than a choice between life and death."
-Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Philosophy,
University of Judaism

"The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah, open on all sides, and a tent of
welcome to the 'other,' is an image critical to our fractured time. The
stories of our common ancestors told in this book with such creative
imagination inspire all of us to build community across the walls that
normally divide us. This book is an inspiration for those who engage in
such an exciting journey."
-Bob Edgar, General Secretary, National Council of Churches

To purchase, go directly to our secure online shop.