Abraham, the 'first Christian' and the 'first Muslim': Hermeneutics of a religious symbol in western Christianity and Sunni Islam

The dissertation analyzes the differing interpretive processes of the Christian and Muslim communities with respect to their scriptures. It compares Christian and Muslim interpretation of Abraham since Abraham appears as the 'first' Christian and as the 'first' Muslim.;Jewish portrayals of the Patriarch appear in the second chapter. In Judaism, Abraham appears in an involved network which includes the convenant of circumcision, the Akedah, the Torah, the Shema, the merit of the fathers, and as "father of the proselytes." His vitality as a symbol and a root metaphor surfaces in his contemporary importance to Jewish self-identity. This chapter provides representative Jewish interpretations of Abraham as background.;The third chapter provides a general overview of Christian interpretation with specific illustrations of Abraham in Christian thought. New Testament references to Abraham and their Christian interpretations follow. The chapter concludes with a hermeneutical analysis of Christian interpretation. Within Christianity Abraham revolves in a new network of faith and justification, and he becomes freed from the Jewish exclusivism.;An overview of Islamic hermeneutics includes the role of the Qur'an in Islam. As the 'first' Muslim, Abraham appears in Islamic thought in a new network which explicitly includes the prayers and the pilgrimage. Implicitly, Abraham's example is tied to the other pillars of Islam as well. The patriarch becomes identified with a new focal point of worship, Mecca.;Religions are approached as systems of signs which allows for a more integrative approach. Symbols, structures of significance which aside from primary meaning have indirect and second meaning, appear in networks or clusters with powerful layers of religious meaning. The study analyzes hermeneutics in terms of method, philosophy, and critique.;In religious traditions, Abraham serves to legitimize the various religious communities involve. A hermeneutical comparison shows that there are many similarities between the two religions in terms of hermeneutical method. There is little hermeneutical critique of either religion. The decisive difference lies in hermeneutical philosophy. In dealing with Abraham, Muslim and Christian interpreters seek to harmonize various perspectives so as to present a careful, cohesive symbol. Abraham, as a symbol, consists of a variety of differing interpretations. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).