Abraham, the father of all believers, plays host to three strangers, one of whom is God, and thus sets an example for others to follow. Jews, Christians, and Muslims often treat each other as strangers. Their Holy Books are not the cause of their conflicts and enmity but rather show the way to solve them. They tell a common story of the lifelong journey of the human being to the promised city, the promised land, and the promised world where justice and righteousness reign. ""Relying on rich references to poetry, prose, and art, Wessels probes the age-old and sacred practice of hospitality to strangers. Centering his analysis on the famous Genesis story of Abraham who entertained three strangers, Wessels' indirect message is that we are at risk of incurring great losses when ignoring the stranger. Students of inter-religious encounters, from college courses to meetings in churches, synagogues, and mosques, will greatly benefit from the erudite and in-depth information this book provides."" --Nelly van Doorn-Harder, Wake Forest University ""A Stranger is Calling . . . is by far [Anton's] richest and most ambitious text yet. It weaves a very colorful and rich tapestry of multivalent and diverse traditions. Only an erudite and critical scholar like Anton could have brought such seemingly disparate elements together in such a brilliant and enlightening way. This coherent tour de force invites us to reevaluate our perspectives on truth, history, revelation, and even the divine."" -- Charles Amjad-Ali, from the foreword Anton Wessels is Professor Emeritus of the History of Religion, Islam in particular, at VU University Amsterdam. He is the author of The Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: Three Books, Two Cities, One Tale (2013), Europe, Was it Ever Really Christian? (1994), and Muslims and the West: Can They Be Integrated? (2006).
