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Mono or Poly? Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism

The Others’ Faith: World Religions through the Lens of Judaism and Islam (video recording available)

The second event of our lecture series The Others’ Faith is dedicated to the question: How do today’s Jews and Muslims view Hinduism, which recognizes multiple deities?

Since Antiquity, Judaism has been preoccupied with setting itself apart from polytheistic religions and “idolatry.” Islam, too, has had numerous experiences with non-monotheistic religions, dating back to its emergence in the early seventh century BCE, and particularly during its expansion in Asia.

recording available

Map with all buildings that belong to the Jewish Museum Berlin. The W. M. Blumenthal Academy is marked in green

Where

W. M. Blumenthal Academy,
Klaus Mangold Auditorium
Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
(Opposite the Museum)

Video recording of the event on 4 February 2020; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020

How do today’s Jews and Muslims view Hinduism, which recognizes multiple deities? As we will see, perhaps these historical perspectives are useful for a contemporary understanding of polytheistic religions, or perhaps such perspectives impede a nuanced exploration.

A discussion with Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein (Elijah Interfaith Institute) and Reza Shah-Kazemi (Institute of Ismaili Studies in London).

Alon Goshen-Gottstein

Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein is a leading scholar of interfaith relations, a scholar of Jewish studies and founder of the Elijah Interfaith Institute that convenes the world’s premier faith leaders in high level study and dialogue. His recent publications are The Jewish Encounter with Hinduism: Wisdom, Spirituality Identity and Same God, Other god: Judaism, Hinduism and the Problem of Idolatry.

Elijah Interfaith Institute

www.elijah-interfaith.org

Reza Shah-Kazemi

Reza Shah-Kazemi is an Islamic scholar and researcher at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. He is one of the signatories of the open letter of 2007 A Common Word between Us and You, with which Muslim scholars called on Christian churches to engage in dialogue on commonalities of religions. Shah-Kazemi is the author of Paths to Transcendence: According to Shankara, Ibn Arabi and Meister Eckhart and Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism, among others.

A Common Word Between Us and You

More on Wikipedia

Where, when, what?

  • When4 Feb 2020
  • Where W. M. Blumenthal Academy,
    Klaus Mangold Auditorium
    Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
    (Opposite the Museum)
    See location on map

Lecture Series 2019/20: The Others’ Faith (6)

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