Master Programme Origins of Abrahamic Religions: Texts and Contexts

Do the sacred texts of Jews, Christians and Muslims have common traditions, or do the differences outweigh the commonalities? Is their history one of peaceful interaction or one of conflict? From what historical and cultural contexts did their traditions emerge, how were their texts formed, and why does this matter?

In contemporary discourse about religion, many people base their claims on particular perspectives on the origins and sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To be able to assess modern claims and views, a thorough grounding in these traditions and an understanding of their origins is necessary.

As a contested concept, the term Abrahamic Religions challenges us to consider what is shared, different or contested between the various expressions of Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions and the interactions between their adherents in different contexts in the ancient world. In this internationally unique degree programme you will learn about these pluriform traditions and contexts in their formative periods. How were sacred texts produced and transmitted? How did they transform and survive in shifting historical and cultural contexts? You will gain in-depth knowledge of the separate traditions and communities, analyse these in a comparative framework and gain a new understanding of their origins and interaction.