"the monotheists"

"The intent of this work is not to make peace or to stir up war, or even ill feelings, among the three religious communities, but simply to lay out their comon roots, their evolution over time, and what I see as their striking resemblances and their equally striking differences. I am not so foolish as to think this is a value-free exercise. Comparisons can of course be read as invidious; certain resemblances can be parsed as reductive,, or relativizing, particularly among believers who are characterized by thier conviction of their own unique destiny, as these three certainly are. But this same approach can also broaden understanding in quite remarkable ways. It is a little like experiencing one's own personality in one's offspring, where traits may appear far less endearing and charming than we imagine them in ourselves. It is one of the more salutary effects of forcing these three particular siblings to pose, however briefly, for a family portrait."
(from the preface of F.E. Peters's new book, The Monotheists: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Conflict and Competition - vol. II The Words and Will of God, Princeton UP, 2003)