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The beauty of Deacon Dardess' book is that he tackles fundamental questions such as "What do we believe about God's creation of the universe?" and "What do we believe about prayer?" In addition, Deacon Dardess is not afraid to consider the difficult, direct questions which many believers frequently tiptoe around, including Jesus' relationship to God, his crucifixion and resurrection, and jihad.

Like any good teacher, Deacon Dardess does more than place the Bible and Quran side by side to reflect on the writings of our faith. Rather, he guides the reader through excellent discussion questions to aid in the ongoing process of Catholic-Muslim dialogue. A major strength of this book is that it can be used by interreligious groups to encourage dialogue in which not only our traditions and faith will be shared but our very lives as well.

Arthur J. Magida's offering, Opening the Doors of Wonder, explores the religious rites of passage from the experiences of well-known men and women. While the reader may expect to reflect on stories of faith and transformation through the rituals of the five great religions, more often than not Magida writes about people who were not transformed by the rituals and found little contact with the divine through them.

While some individuals undoubtedly experience little contact with the divine by simply going through the motions, it would have been refreshing to read about a Christian who was illuminated by a specific ritual experience of baptism, confirmation or the reception of the Eucharist. Jewish people who experienced a meaningful bar mitzvah or other sacred rituals within the Jewish tradition were found wanting. Only those writing from the Islamic point of view escape criticism of their experience within their tradition and seem to have authentic religious experiences.

Magida is an inviting storyteller who keeps the reader interested, and his work can serve as an impetus for others to reflect on their own personal religious experiences, for better or worse.

Abraham's Children: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Conversation is a wonderful compilation of essays by knowledgeable Jewish, Christian and Islamic scholars. In the first section the scholars explore the lives of prominent figures in history such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed from each tradition's perspective. The book serves as an excellent resource for anyone interested in discovering the views on pluralism, gender, the environment and life and death from these three monolithic faiths.

The depth of research and documentation adds to the presentation of the material which seeks to explain each tradition's point of view rather than defend it. The editors conclude each chapter with a summary of the similarities, differences and potential points of contact that can help to further understanding and dialogue.

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Wright is a professor at Union Catholic and Assumption College for Sisters in New Jersey and a member of the Commission for Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Newark.

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Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur'an, by George Dardess. St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2006). 166 pp., $12.95. Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage, by Arthur J. Magida. University of California Press (Berkeley, Calif., 2006). 294 pp., $24.95. Abraham's Children: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Conversation, edited by Norman Solomon, Richard Harries and Tim Winter. Continuum (New York, 2006). 323 pp., $39.95.