At Duke Chapel: "Families of Abraham" photography exhibit reveals commonality of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

If you will be anywhere near Duke Chapel over the coming month, you simply must make time to take in the fantastic black/white photographic exhibit entitled "Families of Abraham" which explores the enduring meaning of Abraham, the common father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The photographs are found throughout the Chapel's cavernous sanctuary, quietly hovering as beacons of reconciliation.

To learn more about the exhibit itself and the curatorial work behind it, follow this link.

To learn more about the exhibit as it appears specifically at Duke Chapel, follow this link(excerpted below).

DURHAM, N.C. -- “Families of Abraham,” an exhibit of 180 photographs documenting the day-to-day life of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families, will be on display in Duke Chapel from early January through the end of February.

Admission is free and the exhibit can be viewed during regular visiting hours at the Chapel. More information about visiting the Chapel can be found atwww.chapel.duke.edu/visit.html or by calling (919) 681-9488.

“By bringing this exhibit to Duke Chapel, our hope is to promote understanding and opportunities for dialogue between people of faith,” said Sam Wells, dean of Duke Chapel.

The photographs in “Families of Abraham” feature Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who were willing to be photographed during their day-to-day lives for a year. There are depictions of many faith traditions such as weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and worship services, as well as major observances such as Yom Kippur, Easter and Ramadan.

This exhibit was first shown at the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, N.C., in 2006. The curator, Eleanor Brawley, a photographer and poet from Charlotte, said the idea for this project came from learning that nearly half of humanity are Jews, Christians or Muslims, and claim the same ancestor -- Abraham.

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