Amen

Patrick J. Ryan, SJ is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University.

"Brings together many different strands of these religious traditions in a distinctive way by focusing on particular practices such as honoring Abraham, repenting, going on pilgrimage, or naming God. I am not aware of any other work that has configured the relationship among these religions in just this way, and I view Fr. Ryan's focus on the practice of each of these traditions as a significant contribution indeed."--Leo D. Lefebure, Georgetown University"Fr. Pat Ryan is one of the finest Catholic scholars of Islam. His erudition, as well as his extraordinary abilities as a writer, sparkle and shine through this collection. In our time, his words are more important than ever to deepen our understanding of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as the faith that we all share"--Amir Hussain, Loyloa Marymount University "What a beautiful, insightful book! Laced with wit, literary references, and personal anecdote, its exploration into the meaning of faith in God is positively eye opening. Conveying profound knowledge of the three major monotheistic religions, Ryan suffuses the discussion with unusual warmth owing to his lifelong friendships with Muslims and Jews. Honest about non-belief, teasing, persuasive, and above all humbly committed, the book's writing style is accessible and engaging. There is simply nothing else like it."--Elizabeth A. Johnson, CSJ, Fordham University "It was my privilege and pleasure to hear Father Ryan present versions of many of these chapters as lectures. Only now seeing them revised and expanded in print do I see his project whole. He has created a deeply (dizzyingly) learned and at the same time very personal exploration of the idea of faith and an engagement with what it means to be a person of faith. Written from an acknowledgedly Christian perspective it reflects a great-hearted understanding of what faith can mean and what being a person of faith can mean for Jews and Christians. Father Ryan has created a remarkable and richly rewarding exploration of one of the central religious questions that confronts us all alike."--Rabbi Daniel Polish, Ph.D., Talking about God: Exploring the Meaning of Religious Life with Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich, and Heschel "Represents an important comparative theological exploration of interfaith engagement among the three Abrahamic traditions; it is a scrupulous attempt to converge on faith not only as a human disposition but also and especially as a relationship that originates with God. This theological focus illuminates the variety and diversity of language and idiom in which faith rises in response to God's solicitude. With a deep devotional and personal intimacy, the book is at the same time a moving testament to the power and mystery of what the Jesuit Richard Crawshaw called caritas nimia, "love's burden." I hope the pastoral, solicitous impulse that animates the book will commend it to all sincere pilgrims of the way."--Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School