A Day Apart : How Jews, Christians, and Muslims Find Faith, Freedom, and Joy on the Sabbath

The Sabbath is the original feast day, a day of joy and freedom from work, a holy day that allows us to reconnect with God, our fellows and nature. Now, in a compelling blend of journalism, scholarship and personal memoir, Christopher D. Ringwald examines the Sabbath from Creation to the present, weaving together the stories of three families, three religions and three thousand years of history. A Day Apart is the first book to examine the Sabbath in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A marvelously readable book, it offers a fascinating portrait of the basics of the three Sabbaths—the Muslim Juma on Friday, the Jewish Shabbat on Saturday and the Christian Lord's Day on Sunday—and introduces us to three families, including Ringwald's own, and shows how they observe the holy day and what it means to them. The heart of the book recounts the history of the Sabbath, ranging from the Creation story and Moses on Mount Sinai, to the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad, the impact of the Protestant Reformation and the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of the modern weekend. Ringwald shows that the Sabbath instinct, to observe a special day of withdrawal and repose, is universal. Indeed, all religions and philosophies teach that life is more than toil, that time should be set aside for contemplation, enjoyment and culture. In today's frantic 24/7 world, the Sabbath—a day devoted to rest and contemplation—has never been more necessary. A Day Apart offers a portrait of a truly timeless way to escape the everyday world and add meaning to our lives. 0195165365......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 Juma / Friday......Page 18 Shabbat / Saturday......Page 21 The Lord’s Day / Sunday......Page 25 The Fight for the Sabbath......Page 27 The Blessings of the Sabbath......Page 30 From Creation......Page 33 Role of Decalogue......Page 35 The Basics of Each Day Apart......Page 36 God’s Hand on Our Clock and Calendar......Page 39 Rituals Toward God......Page 41 Kligermans......Page 43 Ringwalds......Page 45 Haqqies......Page 47 Heaven on Helderberg......Page 49 Creation......Page 52 Before Mount Sinai......Page 54 At Mount Sinai......Page 58 The Sabbath Covenant......Page 59 A Law Above Others......Page 60 After Mount Sinai......Page 62 Surprised by the Joy of Sabbath......Page 64 A Day of Happy Salvation......Page 65 Friday Night and Saturday Afternoon......Page 66 CHAPTER III: The Fight for the Sabbath: From the Monarchy to Jesus and the Age of the Rabbis: 1000 BCE to 200 CE......Page 69 A Simple Law Elaborated......Page 70 Embracing Judaism and Shabbat......Page 73 Exile and Return: 597 to 539 BCE......Page 75 Restoration: 539 to 322 BCE......Page 76 The Sabbath Unites a People......Page 79 Time Becomes Holy......Page 80 Limits to Remembering: The Maccabees......Page 82 The Lord of the Sabbath......Page 85 The Rabbis and the Mishnah......Page 88 The Fight for Peace......Page 91 CHAPTER IV: The Lord’s Day: Easter to 1600......Page 94 Sunday with the Ringwalds......Page 95 After Easter......Page 97 Early Fathers......Page 101 Meeting the Lord on Sunday......Page 103 Goodbye to the Synagogue......Page 106 Sunday Triumphant: Constantine and Augustine......Page 108 The Letter from Heaven: A Yoke Descending......Page 111 Jewish Joy and Persistence......Page 113 The Medieval Circus: Let the Good Times Roll......Page 116 The Reformation......Page 118 Juma at the Hospital......Page 125 Muhammad Gathers the Community......Page 127 The Sources of Faith: The Person of Muhammad......Page 132 The Sources of Faith: The Quran and Hadith......Page 134 The Practice of the Faith: The Five Pillars......Page 135 Clean for God: Ablutions......Page 136 The Assembly of Juma......Page 138 Teaching the Faith on Friday: The Khutbah......Page 140 Solidarity......Page 141 Jews and Christians......Page 142 The Shiites Across Town......Page 144 Allah’s Hand: Azra and Despair......Page 146 CHAPTER VI: Citizens and Sabbatarians: 1600 to 1890......Page 148 Our Lord’s Day......Page 149 Puritan America......Page 150 Jews: Persecution and Departure......Page 152 Reacting to the Reformation: Europe and America......Page 153 Faith and Force......Page 155 Compassionate Enforcement......Page 157 Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Religion......Page 159 The French and American Revolutions and Afterward......Page 160 Europe and America by Midcentury......Page 162 The Sunday Mails Controversy in the United States......Page 165 Industrial Revolution......Page 166 Religious Practices and Civic Engagement......Page 167 In the Breach: The Sabbath by 1900......Page 169 The Limits of Moderation......Page 171 Rabbi Silton......Page 172 Saturday Afternoon......Page 174 Early Twentieth Century: Religion’s Legacy......Page 176 Late Twentieth Century: Fluctuating Fortunes of the Holy Day......Page 179 Fidelity Today......Page 184 Contemporary Theology and Reform......Page 185 Sabbath Practices and Rituals......Page 188 Islam Endures in a New Generation......Page 190 Vestigial Sabbath......Page 192 Limits of Religion......Page 194 Legal Protections......Page 195 Personal Accommodations......Page 198 Still Fighting......Page 199 Weekend Triumphant......Page 202 CHAPTER VIII: The Window on Eternity......Page 205 Islam’s Day of Judgment in the Month of Months......Page 206 Time and Timing......Page 207 Sacred and Profane......Page 210 Right Side, Left Side......Page 214 Truth......Page 215 Judgment......Page 217 Heaven and Eternity......Page 218 When Worlds Unite......Page 219 Salvation from the Finite......Page 220 Ending the Sabbath......Page 223 How Does the Sabbath Survive in the World?......Page 225 If Rest is Holy, What is Work?......Page 226 Work as Divine Vocation......Page 228 No God but Work......Page 230 Equality: The Poor Most of All......Page 232 Women and the Chores of Sabbath......Page 234 Fulfillment: Calling It a Day......Page 237 Work and Rest......Page 238 Work versus Rest......Page 239 Should Rest be Useful?......Page 241 Worship and Play......Page 243 God and Mammon Fight for Sabbath Time......Page 245 Holy Place, Safe Place......Page 247 Doctor, Father, Muslim......Page 250 Sabbath Themes......Page 253 The Gift in Common......Page 255 Bridging the Divide......Page 256 The Litmus Test......Page 258 Resistance and Resurgence......Page 261 Liberation from the Self and Society......Page 263 Liberation from Rationality and Abstraction......Page 265 Liberation from the Irrational and an Anchor for the Mystical......Page 266 Forgiveness......Page 267 Nature’s Renewal......Page 268 My Own Private Sabbath Work Experiment......Page 269 God and Man Unite......Page 270 Free to Be......Page 272 Undone by Grace......Page 274 Appendix: Random Notes on Keeping the Sabbath......Page 278 Notes......Page 283 Bibliography......Page 298 A......Page 311 C......Page 312 E......Page 314 F......Page 315 H......Page 316 I......Page 317 J......Page 318 L......Page 319 M......Page 320 N......Page 321 P......Page 322 R......Page 323 S......Page 324 T......Page 327 W......Page 328 Z......Page 329 The Sabbath is the original feast day, a day of joy and freedom from work, a holy day that allows us to reconnect with God, our fellows and nature. Now, in a compelling blend of journalism, scholarship and personal memoir, Christopher D. Ringwald examines the Sabbath from Creation to the present, weaving together the stories of three families, three religions and three thousand years of history. A Day Apart is the first book to examine the Sabbath in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A marvelously readable book, it describes the three weekly holy days--the Muslim Juma on Friday, the Jewish Shabbat on Saturday and the Christian Lord's Day on Sunday--and introduces us to three families, including Ringwald's own, and shows how they observe the holy day and what it means to them. The heart of the book recounts the history of the Sabbath, ranging from the Creation story and Moses on Mount Sinai to the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad, the impact of the Protestant Reformation and the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of the modern weekend. Ringwald shows that the Sabbath instinct, to observe a special day of withdrawal and repose, is universal. Indeed, all religions and philosophies teach that life is more than toil, that time should be set aside for contemplation, enjoyment and culture. In today's frantic 24/7 world, the Sabbath--a day devoted to rest and contemplation--has never been more necessary. A Day Apart offers a portrait of a truly timeless way to escape the everyday world and add meaning to our lives.'I can not recall reading anything on the three faiths that so deftly engages them in robust conversation. Amazingly learned, Ringwald nonetheless has a light, friendly touch. The warmth of his soul is unmistakable.'--Christian Century From Sinai to Sunday: the Holy Day in three religions and three families The birth of the Sabbath: from creation to Mount Sinai and into the Promised Land in 1100 BCE The fight for the Sabbath: from the monarchy to Jesus and the age of the rabbis: 1000 BCE to 200 CE The Lord's Day: Easter to 1600 Islam's Day of Judgment Citizens and Sabbatarians: 1600 to 1890 The Sabbath defeated, reborn, converted: 1890 to the present The window on eternity Give me a break: work, rest, equality, play, and place The promise of peace: sharing the Holy Day "A Day Apart is the first book to examine the Sabbath in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It describes the three weekly holy days - the Muslim Juma on Friday, the Jewish Shabbat on Saturday, and the Christian Lord's Day on Sunday - and introduces us to three families, including Ringwald's own, and shows how they observe the holy day and what it means to them."--Jacket