Abraham: One God, Three Wives, Five Religions

by Frances Worthington

A groundbreaking examination of Abraham, one of the most beloved and significant religious figures in history. Author Frances Worthington researches the three wives/concubines (Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah) of Abraham, and traces their lineage to five different religions - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, the Babi Faith, and the Baha'i Faith. Examining the scripture and traditions of these five "Abrahamic" faiths, this complex story also draws heavily from a rich variety of historical sources that provide a fascinating backdrop.

Genres: Religion, History, Islam, Baha I, Nonfiction, Christianity

242 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2011

Reviews

[Esther Bradley-detally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and read it several years ago. The blurb on the back provides a fascinating backdrop:
The narrative follows the life of Abraham from His birth, through His marriages and the birth of His children, to His repeated exiles. It also provides great insight into the lives of the founders of the five Abrahamic Faiths - Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab (broad ah) and Baha'u'llah--and illustrates how Their lives mirror that of Abraham. The final chapters consider genetics, the spread of common DNA through diverse populations worldwide, and the spiritual ancestry uniting us all. The combination of Worthington's exhaustive research and masterful narrative make this a fascinating and compelling read."

I can't remember when I read this book, but I have lent it to many a friend and they all rave about it.

[Rock Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five religions descended from Abraham? In addition to those with which I was already familiar, this book illuminated the 19th century additions of Babi & Bahai. A worthwhile read, with good background on Judaism, Christianity, & Islam.

[John White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and informative. Everything you knew and didn't know about Abraham in one book. This book also leads to a higher understanding of the unity of humanity, unity of God and unity of religion.

[William Saeednia-Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that manages to be an easy read while at the same time be a fascinating study of archaeology, biography, ancient history and comparative religion. That's pretty impressive. It also manages to be both respectful and funny. Again: impressive.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for any history buff!

[Gretchen Annan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book providing insight to Abraham's relationship to all the major religions in the world.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and very readable. Read it while I was taking a Bible-as-literature class on women of the Old Testament. Now my instructor wants to read it!

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I not sure what the intention of this book was. Frances Worthington examines the life of Abraham and his descendants, from whom she claims five religions developed - Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Babi, and Bahai. I admit ignorance of the last two religions other than I knew there was a Bahai faith. Her evidence relies on scriptures from all five of these religions as well as folk tales and myths from several of the faiths. While I enjoyed her mostly accurate depiction of life in ancient Mesopotamia, I was less impressed by her speculations about Abraham's actual life. I would be very interested in knowing a bit more about the author's scholarly credentials. This was at times, an interesting book, particularly if the reader keeps in mind that most of what she writes is her interpretation and speculation

[Sebrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent companion to every religious text

This scholarly book is easy to read and hard to put down. It fills in many of the missing contextual gaps not answered in traditional religious texts. It provides a more complete historical perspective on Abraham, His legacy, and the world's modern world religions.

[Ariana Carmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

More dramatic than a soap opera. Truly a worthy read! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Trevor Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It did show what Baha’is believe about who Abraham is from their view. I believe that Abraham was a sinner which is evidenced by the lies he told about his wife, Sarah; however Baha’is see that point differently.

We can still see how the Baha’i Faith is closer to the Islamic faith than Christianity because they still believe it was Ishmael that was going to be sacrificed instead of Isaac.

The Baha’i Faith is still claiming that Baha’u’llah is a descendent of Abraham and Keturah. Please take a look at Russ Williams book “Analyzing Baha’i Beliefs” pages 70-78 on how that cannot be the case.

[Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Besides a few good information or guesses, this book is very weak in its interpretations of religion.
I would not recommend it to anyone seriously looking for any solid research regarding Abraham and the religions derived from his offspring.

[Andy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read

Interesting read if you are trying to unravel the differences between Islam and Judaism. A bit on the waffle side though and, unsurprisingly given its publisher, quite hot on the Bahá’í Faith.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing ^^ Now on my "essentials" Bahá'í book list

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a good job of melding traditions and stories from 5 religions to bring
Abraham to life.

[Daniel Zonneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom, ao reunir de forma geral diferentes pontos de vista e referencial histórico relatando importantes etapas da vida de Abraão e sua descendência entre as 5 religiões diretamente Abraanicas.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Baha’i propaganda

[Brittaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective. I learned a lot.

[Bhumil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book outlines the history and similarities of all of the Abrahamic religions. As a beginner with no idea about any of this history, this book is very enlightening.
What I liked best about this was that the author tries to "interpret" what various traditions/mysteries mean as opposed to taking their literal meaning. While there are places where I disagree with the author and would accuse her of over-speculation, this is definitely worth a read.
I especially liked the part at the end drawing comparisons of Abrahamic history with Hinduism

[Jacki Bowker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of Abraham and his family and further generations, especially as I follow
Along in the Bible. Although it's not all documented facts, the author did extensive research about the history at that time.

[Caroline Gabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written, very interesting

[Elaine H. Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!

[Vicwelborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked the tone of this book.. and great information.
Significant book for me