Patrick Gray is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He has published five books on the Bible, the history of biblical interpretation, and Hellenistic philosophy, including Opening Paul's Letters: A Reader's Guide to Genre and Interpretation.

"By examining the 'founders' of various religious traditions, this book helps us to better understand both those individual traditions and the connections between them. It is an especially useful resource for those who are interested in comparative theology." --Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University

• Contributors ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 1) Finding Judaism's Founders ; Mark Leuchter ; Chapter 2) The Buddha: Historicizing Myth, Mythologizing History ; Nathan McGovern ; Chapter 3) When the Founder is Not a Creator: Confucius and Confucianism Reconsidered ; Cai Liang ; Chapter 4) What is Daoism and Who is Its Founder? ; Gil Raz ; Chapter 5) Jesus, Paul, and the Birth of Christianity ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 6) Muhammad's Mission and the Din of Ibrahim according to Ibn Ishaq ; R. Kevin Jaques ; Chapter 7) Hinduism and the Question of Founders ; Mans Broo ; Chapter 8) Crossing Boundaries: When Founders of Faith Appear in Other Traditions ; Mark Muesse ; Index

Patrick Gray is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He has published five books on the Bible, the history of biblical interpretation, and Hellenistic philosophy, including Opening Paul's Letters: A Reader's Guide to Genre and Interpretation.

"By examining the 'founders' of various religious traditions, this book helps us to better understand both those individual traditions and the connections between them. It is an especially useful resource for those who are interested in comparative theology." --Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University

• Contributors ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 1) Finding Judaism's Founders ; Mark Leuchter ; Chapter 2) The Buddha: Historicizing Myth, Mythologizing History ; Nathan McGovern ; Chapter 3) When the Founder is Not a Creator: Confucius and Confucianism Reconsidered ; Cai Liang ; Chapter 4) What is Daoism and Who is Its Founder? ; Gil Raz ; Chapter 5) Jesus, Paul, and the Birth of Christianity ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 6) Muhammad's Mission and the Din of Ibrahim according to Ibn Ishaq ; R. Kevin Jaques ; Chapter 7) Hinduism and the Question of Founders ; Mans Broo ; Chapter 8) Crossing Boundaries: When Founders of Faith Appear in Other Traditions ; Mark Muesse ; Index

Patrick Gray is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He has published five books on the Bible, the history of biblical interpretation, and Hellenistic philosophy, including Opening Paul's Letters: A Reader's Guide to Genre and Interpretation.

"By examining the 'founders' of various religious traditions, this book helps us to better understand both those individual traditions and the connections between them. It is an especially useful resource for those who are interested in comparative theology." --Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University

• Contributors ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 1) Finding Judaism's Founders ; Mark Leuchter ; Chapter 2) The Buddha: Historicizing Myth, Mythologizing History ; Nathan McGovern ; Chapter 3) When the Founder is Not a Creator: Confucius and Confucianism Reconsidered ; Cai Liang ; Chapter 4) What is Daoism and Who is Its Founder? ; Gil Raz ; Chapter 5) Jesus, Paul, and the Birth of Christianity ; Patrick Gray ; Chapter 6) Muhammad's Mission and the Din of Ibrahim according to Ibn Ishaq ; R. Kevin Jaques ; Chapter 7) Hinduism and the Question of Founders ; Mans Broo ; Chapter 8) Crossing Boundaries: When Founders of Faith Appear in Other Traditions ; Mark Muesse ; Index