PALM BEACH FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

PALM BEACH FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS Do Jews, Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? January 24, 2017 1

Administrative Matters • Welcome and Brief Introductions • Discussion Among Panelists 5: 30 to 6: 45 • Questions and Answers 6: 45 to 7: 00 • Slides available at https: //www. palmbeachfellowship. net/what-wedo/programs/ 2

Rabbi Howard Shapiro • • • Raised in the Boston area; attended Brandeis U. Ordained from Hebrew Union College Served as Chaplain in US Army in Vietnam Served as Rabbi in Springfield, NJ Came to Temple Israel in 1981; retired in 2009 Vice-Chair of the Reform Pension Board Rabbi Emeritus to Temple Israel Consultant to the Jewish Federation of PBC Has worked on Fellowship courses since 2000 3

Canon Thomas O’Brien • Grew up in The Bronx; attended parochial school, Manhattan Prep, Notre Dame and Yale Law School • Served as a Line Officer in the USN including deployments to Vietnam and the Mediterranean • Corporate Lawyer in NY and FL from 1971 to 2001 • Became an Episcopalian in 1989; attended RC Seminary in Boynton Beach from 1999 to 2002 • Teacher of Scripture and Theology since 1998 • Has led Fellowship Courses since 1998 4

Dr. Nasir Ahmad Imam at Masjid Al Ansar, Miami, since 1977 Practicing Maxillofacial Oral Surgeon Frequent Lecturer on Health and Religion in US Former instructor in Medical School, elementary school and high school • BS from Miami-Dade College and Florida Memorial U; Dental training from Meharry Medical College • Born and raised in Chicago, IL • Married with 10 children and 33 grandchildren • • 5

Sub-Questions for Today • What do we mean by “God” ? • What does it mean to “believe” in God? • How do Jews, Christians and Muslims envision God? • On what do they base these understandings? • Is belief in God integral to being Jewish? Being Christian? Being a Muslim? Why? Why not? • What can we expect of God? • What does God expect of us? 6

The First Questions • What do we mean by “God” ? • Is “Allah” simply the Arabic word for God, just as Dieu is French for God and Dios is Spanish for God? • Does God have a name in the Hebrew Bible? • What does it mean to “believe” in God? 7

Genesis 1. 2 – A Wind From God Sweeping over the Water 8

God molds an adam (earthling) from adamah (fertile earth) (Genesis 2: 7) 9

Exodus 3: 13 -14 (JPS) Moses said to God, “When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name? ’ what shall I say to them? ” And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh -Asher-Ehyeh. ” Translations: I AM What I AM I am becoming what I am becoming I will be what I will be 10

Christian Understandings of Jesus of Nazareth • Perfect Revelation of what God is like • Paul calls him “the Christos” (Messiah) • Paul refers to Jesus the Christ as “Kyrios” in 50 CE – Greek word in LXX for YHWH • Jesus is presented differently in the four Gospels • Letter to Hebrews: “a reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” (1. 3) • Son of Man (“bar adam”) • Doctrines about Jesus the Christ: codified in Nicene Creed (325) and Council of Chalcedon (451) 11

ALLAH – The Supreme Being • • “Allah” is the Arabic word for “God” Wholly transcendent (beyond ordinary experience) Known through messengers, revelation and living Has perfect unity (tawhid) Merciful, just, all-knowing, all-powerful Lord and Ruler of all Would never have inhabited a human body – Jesus was a prophet, but was not divine • Has 99 attributes, some masculine, some feminine 12

The Mystery of God • All images are incomplete; all words are imperfect • Our answers are tentative and limited • God is perceived by some as transcendent - “out of this world”; not knowable except by messengers • God is also perceived as immanent – present in all reality (pan-en-theism) • God is perceived as “covenantal” and relational • God is seen as creating (and continuing to create) all reality out of love 13

Is Belief in God Essential ? • To be a Christian? • To be a Jew? • To be a Muslim? 14

What Do You Need to Believe to be a Jew? • • • Involves a “constellation” of considerations Orthodox definition Reform definition Liberal definition “Secular” Jews Observant/non-observant 15

What Must a Christian Believe? • • Existence of God is inherently relational (Trinity) Jesus of Nazareth was fully human and fully divine Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected (defined? ) Jesus of Nazareth is The Christ (defined how? ) Jesus of Nazareth revealed what God is like Traditional Understanding: http: //www. nytimes. com/2016/12/23/opinion/sun day/pastor-am-i-a-christian. html? smprod=nytcoreipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share 16

What Must a Muslim Believe? • • • Believe in one God, Allah Believe in His Angels Believe in His Books Believe in His Prophets Believe in the Last Day 17

A Muslim’s Five Principles of Action • To testify that there is one God, Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah • Perform prayer five times daily • Paying charity • Fast in the month of Ramadan • Make Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca, once in a lifetime 18

Some of the Quran’s 99 Names for God The Omnipotent; The Beneficent; The Merciful; The Peace; The Creator; The Judge; The Patient; The Generous; The Perfect; The Light; The Guide; The Abaser; The Humiliator; The Downgrader; The Exalter; The Upgrader; The Giver of Honor; The Giver of Dishonor; The Resurrector; The Distressor; The Harmer; The Afflicter; The Immutable; The Infinite; The Everlasting; The All-Knowing; The Compeller 19

7 Major Prophets in Al Islam • Abraham • Moses • Aaron • Idris • Joseph • Jesus/ John • Adam These prophets were seen during the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension through the 7 heavens 20

Sufism – Islamic Mysticism • • • Began ascetic movement “Suf” = wool (wool garment worn by ascetics) Emphasis on the impermanence of the world Rejects dependence on things of the world Includes both Sunnis and Shiites Important figures – Muhammad al-Ghazali (1058 – 1111) – Rumi (1207 – 1273) 21

Does God have “Obligations” to Believers? • Belief in God is not an “insurance policy” • Does God “owe” persons “salvation” if they lead good lives? • Does God intervene directly (or even indirectly) in our lives? • Awareness of God’s “presence” in our lives – What does it mean that God is “present” in our lives? 22

The Lord’s Prayer, the Berachah, and Kaddish • All of them are Jewish prayers • Jesus’ Jewishness was central to his relationship with God 23

Berachah Baruch atah YHWH Eloheynu Melech ha-Olam asher kidshanu b’mitvotav v’tsivanu …. Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to …. 24

Lord’s Prayer Kaddish Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. Magnified and sanctified be God’s great name In this world which God created May God’s kingdom be revealed In our life and our days And in the life of the house of Israel Speedily, imminently. To which we say: AMEN. Blessed be God’s great name to all eternity. Blessed, praised, honored, exalted, extolled, glorified, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy Blessed One, beyond all earthly words and songs of blessing, praise and comfort. To which we say: AMEN. May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and all Israel. To which we say: AMEN. May the One who creates harmony on high, bring peace to us and all Israel. To which we say: AMEN. 25

Muslim Prayer (Surah 1) Al - Fatihah (The Opening) In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i. e. the Day of Resurrection). You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians). 26

Muslim Prayer (Surah 1) Al - Fatihah (The Opening) Allah is the Greatest! Praise and glory be to You, O Allah. Blessed be Your Name, exalted be Your Majesty and Glory. There is no god but You. I seek Allah's shelter from Satan, the condemned. In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful! Master of the Day for Judgment! You alone do we worship and You alone do we call on for help. Guide us along the Straight Path, The path of those whom You have favored, Not the path of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray. Amen. 27

Do Jews, Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? • Differences in images • Christians – God is a Trinity (three in one), and Jesus of Nazareth is God – How is this not worshiping three Gods? • Is it ok for Christians to claim they worship the God of Israel even if their understanding of this God may be different from Jewish understandings? 28

Walker, there is no road; the road is made by walking. 29