Assignment task: Based on Kaltner's chapter, "Adam," and on your own reading of Genesis 1-3 and the assigned Qur'anic passages, answer the following questions. As always, your work should be your own and should not incorporate information from outside sources. Also, remember that working comparatively means being respectful of both texts :)
1. As Kaltner notes (34-5), the Biblical and Qur'anic accounts of the episode in the garden differ in terms of the agent of deceit, with the serpent playing that role in Genesis and Satan in the Qur'an. Do you agree with Kaltner's assessment of the effects of the introduction of Satan to the episode - that is, that it implicitly distances God from the scene and from the trouble that humans fall into, in a way that helps to explain some of the theological difficulties raised by the Biblical account? Why or why not?
2. Kaltner also discusses (31-32, 32-3) the differing roles of the first woman in the Biblical and Qur'anic accounts of creation. What, if anything, stands out to you in the Biblical versus the Qur'anic depictions of Eve/Hawa?
3. Kaltner claims that the Qur'an can help us to better understand the Biblical story of creation, in particular by encouraging readers to focus on the theme of the covenant between humankind and God rather than envisioning it primarily as emblematic of the original fall from grace (49-51). With what evidence does he support this statement? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
4. Identify what you find to be the most striking or significant difference between the Qur'anic and Biblical accounts of Creation, and explain why you have selected it. (Note: you can mention a difference that has been named by Kaltner, or one that you come up with on your own.)