Reviews

The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths by Charlotte Gordon

cami19's review

informative medium-paced

3.0

judyward's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked this book by Charlotte Gordon which is a literary examination of the Abraham/Sarah/Hagar triangle presented as a tangled relationship among three people with all of the complex emotions that had to be involved. Gordon, who has a PhD in history and literature from Boston University, who taught for several years in that University's School of Theology, and who is currently an assistant professor of English at Endicott College, presents the story using evidence from the Bible, theology, history, archeology, and other sources and she draws some interesting conclusions about the three characters and their relationships with each other and with God. The story of Abraham often glosses over the tangled relationship that had to exist between Abraham and Sarah, between Sarah and Hagar, between Abraham and Hagar, between Isaac and Ishmael, between Ishmael and Sarah, and between Isaac and Hagar. The story of Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmael at the insistence of Sarah is often used as an explanation for the historical conflict between Jews and Muslims. However, Gordon points out that this is not inherent in the Biblical story which reports that both Isaac and Ishamel traveled to Hebron to bury Abraham after his death. This book gave a familiar story an entirely new dimension and has given me much material for thought. Highly recommended.