Rabbi Firestone is professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College and founder and co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement (www.usc.edu/cmje). He has lived in Israel and Egypt and has traveled and lectured extensively in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Firestone authored more than eighty scholarly articles and essays and seven books. Considered an entertaining lecturer and even humorous on occasion, he is known for his particular expertise in Jewish-Muslim relations.

Complete Curriculum Vitae in PDF format

• Ph.D. 1988 New York University, Near East. Langs. & Lits. Islam, Arabic Lit.
• Rabbinic Ordination 1982 HUC-JIR, Bible, Rabbinics
• M.A. 1980 HUC-JIR, Hebrew Lit., History
• B.A. 1974 Antioch College, Sociology/Anthropolgy (Middle East area studies)
• 1972-73 Hebrew University in Jerusalem

• Early Islam and its relationship with Jews and Judaism
• Scriptural interpretation of the Bible and Qur'an
• The phenomenon of holy war
• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• Jihad: its meaning, historical application, and influences on the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli conflict
• Inter-religious Polemic

• Whose Jerusalem? The Holy City in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
• Who are the Real "Chosen People"?
• Divine Authority and Mass Violence: Holy War in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
• What Does Islam Really Say About Jews and Judaism? A study of the classic texts.
• How Do We See Each Other? Classic and contemporary views of Jews and Muslims toward the other.
• Muhammad, the Qur'an, and the Question of Judaism.
• The Qur'an and the Bible: Scripture and Interpretation in Islam.
• Abraham: The First Jew, Christian or Muslim? A comparative study of the patriarch from the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
• Antisemitism and Islamophobia: How are they Similar, and how Different?
• The Real History of Jewish-Muslim Relations: Golden Age or More of the Same?

• Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial Idea (Oxford)
• Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam (Oxford)
• Who are the Real Chosen People: The Meaning of Chosenness in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Skylight Paths)
• An Introduction to Islam for Jews (Jewish Publication Society).
• Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims (Ktav)
• Arabic Translation: Dhuriyat Ibrahim (ذرية إبراهيم: مقدمة عن اليهودية للمسلمين) - available online without charge
• Turkish translation: Yahudiliği Anlamak İbrahim'in / Avraam'ın Çocukları (Islanbul: GÖZLEM GAZETECİLİK BASIN VE YAYIN AŞ, 2004)
• Journeys in Holy Lands: The Evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael Legends in Islamic Exegesis (State University of New York)
• Trialogue: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Dialogue, with Leonard Swidler and Khalid Duran (Twenty-Third Publications)
• Learned Ignorance: An Investigation into Humility in Interreligious Dialogue between Christians, Muslims and Jews, with James Heft and Omid Safi (Oxford)

• Divine Authority and Mass Violence: Economies Of Aggression In The Emergence Of Religions – Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies
• Holy War a Jewish Problem Too - Shema
• So, the Pharaoh is gone - The Jewish Journal of Los Angles
• The Ground Zero-sum Game – Religion Dispatches
• Banning the Burka – The Jewish Journal of Los Angles
• Contextualizing Antisemitism in Islam – International Journal for Psychoanalytic Studies
• Religions Hold Mix of Justice and Mercy - The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
• What Made Saddam Run? - The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
• 'Leasing' of Peace Could Be Best Move - The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
• Islam is the Answer - The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
• Islam Hijacked - The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles