The Challenge of the Mosaic Torah in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

The aim of The Challenge of the Mosaic Torah in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is to address the theological issues arising when different ancient religious groups inside three Abrahamic religions attempted to understand or define their opinion on the Mosaic Torah. Twelve articles explore various instances of accepting, modifying, ignoring, criticizing, and vilifying the Mosaic Torah. They demonstrate a range of perspectives of ways in which the Mosaic Torah has formed a challenge. These challenges include Persian religious policy (when the Mosaic Torah was formed), intra-Jewish discussions (e.g. Samaritans), religious practices (the New Testament debates of ritual laws) and interreligious debates on validity of the Torah stipulations (with Christians and Muslims). All the papers were discussed at the international conference, ＂The Challenge of the Mosaic Torah in Judaism, Christianity and Islam＂, organized by Åbo Akademi University and held in Karkku, Finland, 17-18 August, 2017 .

Antti Laato is Professor in Old Testament exegetics with Judaic studies at Åbo Akademi University, Turku Finland. Since 2006, he has been leader in the international network Study for the Reception History of the Bible. Recently he has edited Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Three Abrahamic Religions (STCA 6; Leiden: Brill, 2019).

Contributors are Kåre Berge, Jacques van Ruiten, Magnar Kartveit, Lukas Bormann, Guido Baltes, Antti Laato, Erkki Koskenniemi, Anni Maria Laato, Cor de Vos, Günter Stemberger, Martin Tamcke, Serafim Seppälä.