Children of Abraham: Part One | Religious History Documentary | Timeline

In the post 9/11 world, entrenched religious belief is often seen as a key factor in a "clash of civilisations" - Christians, Muslims and Jews locked into an age-old struggle.

In this thought-provoking three-part series, Mark Dowd, a Catholic who trained to be a Dominican Friar, embarks on a very personal journey to the Holy Land, Egypt, Turkey, Bosnia and the USA to explore the shared roots and deep enmities of the three faiths, and to discover if there is hope in a shared future. The prophet Abraham is central to the three great monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, despite these shared origins, and the reconciliatory promise to Abraham that "all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed by you", his descendants have often resembled a squabbling, dysfunctional family. Dowd's journey of discovery is an attempt to grapple with the big questions: Why, if there is one God, are there three so-called monotheistic faiths? Why do some people abuse religion to demonise their enemies while others build bridges to them? And why have the "children of Abraham" often fallen so short of the legacy of unity that was promised to the prophet?