Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad cover art

Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad

By: Mark W. Muesse, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Mark W. Muesse
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £31.00

Buy Now for £31.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Dead Sea Scrolls cover art
The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition cover art
The Pagan World cover art
The New Testament cover art
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World cover art
No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life cover art
The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room cover art
The Foundations of Western Civilization cover art
The American Civil War cover art
The Iliad of Homer cover art
The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome cover art
1066: The Year That Changed Everything cover art
Augustine: Philosopher and Saint cover art
Essence of the Upanishads cover art
Out of Your Mind cover art
What's So Great About Christianity cover art

Summary

No understanding of human life, individual or collective, could be complete without factoring in the role and contribution of these history-shaping teachers. Now, this 36-lecture series takes you deep into the life stories and legacies of these four iconic figures, revealing the core teachings, and thoughts of each, and shedding light on the historical processes that underlie their phenomenal, enduring impact.

Speaking from multilevel personal experience with these teachings, Professor Muesse leads you in an inquiry with a dynamic double thrust.

First, you'll get the chance to reflect in depth on the most essential values of spirituality and the art of living, seen from four archetypal perspectives. Second, you'll delve into the historical contexts and individual lives of the four sages, and how the religious and philosophical traditions we associate with them came into being. The lectures serve as a unique window on the origins of these traditions, through their focus on the teachings, actions, and historical roles of the sages who inspired them. In uncovering the original wisdom and practices of each sage, you'll grapple with key questions. How did each man understand the nature of the universe? How did each envision the human self? What did they each see as the path to true self-realization? In words reflecting profound and compassionate insight, these lectures bring the teachings vividly alive as they speak to their essential purpose and as they shed light on the choices we all face, moment by moment, in living deliberately and savoring life to the fullest.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2010 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2010 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    107
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    98
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    95
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Simplistic Overview

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Better for Islam:

In the Shadow of the Sword The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World
By: Tom Holland
In God's Path
The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire
By: Robert G. Hoyland

Better for Christianity:
Anything by Richard Carrier or Bart D. Ehrman

What does Professor Mark W. Muesse Ph.D. Harvard University bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I can see why he is a popular lecturer at universities, certainly better than some I had (!).

Any additional comments?

Simplistic overview, heavily reliant on religious sources (and now outdated view that there is a Q source for the Gospels). Ignores any possible negative in the teachings of any of these religious leaders (and there are more than a few to say the least).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

If you could sum up Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad in three words, what would they be?

I am really glad I bought this. I can not put it down so to speak. I am almost at the end but just thought I would highly recommend this book to anyone whose interests fall in these areas.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling

Could not put this book down, the lectures are amazing and informative as well as balanced.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

simply wonderful

state of excellence like his other works. Academic world should be proud of having people like him around.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Easy to follow

Pretty interesting. I have rounded out some long held thought due to this course. its seem this sages were wise but the more there years move on the more so called followers pervert great intentions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic theological insight.

I found this as a very interesting material that balanced theological, historical and religious studies complemented with some critical analysis.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

best book on the religious society

this was the best book on the subject, very unbiased professional approach, I would recommend it to anyone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

fell asleep

I didn't listen for long, the drawling accents and pretentious language with copious references to others work told me this isn't an original or interesting work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Confucius Buddha Jesus and Muhammad

Fairly comprehensive but not as good as I’d hoped. I found his delivery a bit boring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent and enlightening

I liked these lecture but felt that they could have done a better job of mentioning their sources for the information about each of the religious figures.

A lot of the information just seemed to be something overheard.

Great delivery and insightful look at the similarities and difference between all the 4 religious characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful