Book Review
Each theme has one book about some aspect of the Christian experience and one book about the parallel Muslim experience. You are then to write a comparative analysis (8-10 pages, typed, double-spaced, size 10 or 12 font, 1-inch margins) of these two books.
Write an analytical paper in which you are expected to find at least three common themes or methodologies between the two books you discuss through comparison and contrast, explaining why these commonalities or differences exist and what they mean.
1st book
The Virgin Mary: Rita George-Tvrtkovic. Christians, Muslims, and Mary: A History. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 978-0809153282 AND
2nd book
Mary F. Thurlkill. Chosen Among Women: Mary and Fatima in Medieval Christianity and Shi’ite Islam. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007. 978-0268042318
3. Make sure to document citations. You may use Footnotes, Endnotes, or in-text citations – your choice. Just be consistent and make sure to list the page numbers where you found the information or argument.
4. Write analytically. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate your ability to think critically about the 2 books.
Some questions you may wish to consider include:
How are the subjects similar and how are they different? How does each reflect their faith tradition? Do both faith traditions treat the subject in the same way? If they vary, why? Do you have any critiques of how the books were researched or written? Are the authors convincing in their arguments or are there holes in the logic? What is the relationship between the author(s) and the subject matter and what impact does that have on how the author approached the topic? Why did the author write this book at this particular time?
Who is the intended audience and how does that shape the author’s approach? What is the value of reading these 2 books together?
5. Choose at least 3 themes of comparison or contrast between the 2 books. You can choose more, but be certain that you can cover them comprehensively in the space allotted.
6. Remember to observe proper formatting – font size of 10 or 12 point, margins of 1 inch, and include page numbers.
