What a Treasure!, July 2, 2008
I.W. Fulton – Amazon.com

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the world's sacred texts. A clear, well written, well researched comparison of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian versions of the stories of Abraham's dysfunctional family should put the "fun"(read that as 'joy' and 'peace')back in the dysfunction among these groups. Taken seriously, it could do more for world peace than any current political, economic or military actions currently in use. Don't pass this one up.

RELIGION IS THE NEW POLITICS IN THE 21st CENTURY
TOUCHSTONE MAGAZINE

Noah’s Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur’an
by Brian Arthur Brown, Continuum Books, N.Y., 2007, 242 pages, cloth.

A “happy” prophecy seems an oxymoron, at least within the biblical definition of the term, but Brian Brown may actually have achieved such an anomaly in his recent study of the Qu’ran and the Bible, Noah’s Other Son. In fact, not only does Brown seem prophetic in both the context and content of his project to illustrate the inherent richness of studying each text in the light of the other, thus enhancing understanding among the three “peoples of the book,” Jews, Christians and Muslims, he seems positively prescient.

Just months after his book was released, and almost immediately added to course reading lists at Auburn Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary in New York, and at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Winnipeg, on October 13th, 2007, one hundred thirty-eight Muslim scholars marked the close of Ramadan by sending a letter to Christian leaders appealing for a strategic dialogue between Christianity and Islam. As staid a periodical as The Economist noted that, “as inter-religious initiatives go, (this) was spectacular.”

No less spectacular is the open-hearted and open-minded perspective which Brown brings to his subject, less than a century after the 1910 Edinburgh missionary Conference issued its stirring but spiritually cramped call to mission, “The world for Christ in our time.” In the footsteps of the pioneers of Christian-Jewish dialogue in Canada, the Rev. Roland de Corneille, the Rev. Dr. George McClintock, and Rabbis Jordan Perlson and Harry Joshua Stern, who were determined to seek reconciliation in the shadow of the Shoa, Brown employs the tragedy of 9/11 and the even greater tragedy of the ill-conceived and worse response to the horror of the World Trade Centre attack as his contextual starting point.

Setting the stage through the careful and erudite examination of the foundational texts of both the Qu’ran and Bible, and the pre-Abrahamic stories of Noah – and Noah’s other son, the rebellious Canaan, drowned in the flood – Brown strides into the midst of the complex cast of scriptural characters as the three great religions know and love them, adding new insight in the correlation of Arabic versions of familiar names and life stories, and new details breathing new life and insight for Jew, Christian and Muslim alike. A particular delight is his chapter on “Women Who Have Names,” if not in the Bible or the more western traditions, then in the Qu’ran and Islam.

The result is a sharing of what has been a spiritual pilgrimage, leading the author into the country of myth in the Joseph Campbell sense of the term, where Brown has settled down and made it his own. Having pitched his tent, he invites the sojourner to join him, making both the serious scholar and the serious amateur more than welcome.

His style is engaging, sometimes humorous, but invariably respectful. He wrestles with complex issues of literary and historical biblical criticism, and the vexing field of comparative textual analysis, and he succeeds in rendering them accessible but never simplistic. The book is reminiscent of Augustine’s North African assessment of the Bible, like a river in which “a lamb might wade and a hippopotamus might swim.”

This is not to say that all is comfort and conciliation. Brown will raise eyebrows and some hackles with some of his observations and perspectives. There is little comfort here for either the rigid literalist or the lukewarm liberal. His regular description of the three faith communities, making up just over half of the human community, as “Abraham’s dysfunctional family” ought to make the conscientious reader of each faith group squirm. From time to time he skates close to a style of instruction that may be read as preachy, but no one can doubt his respect for the whole people of God’s several books, even when he calls, echoing Muslim scholars, for an Islamic reformation.

His vision of Judaism as the “foundation,” Christianity as the “spiritual temple” and Islam as the “dome” over all, will be disconcerting to some. And it ought to be noted that Brown’s work tantalizes, begging the overwhelming task for an interfaith scholarly effort to attempt a comparative commentary of Old and New Testaments and Qu’ran all together. Some exception will be taken that worship ought to take preeminence over all else in religion; the biblical message and the orthopraxy of Jew and Muslim alike would argue as did the 138 Muslim scholars that “worship and work must be one.”

Still, these quibbles are small. In the 21st Century, it is clear that religion is the new politics, and will be for the foreseeable future. Brown’s rephrasing of the Golden Rule, that we may “understand one another as we would wish to be understood” is a sign that, as a certain telecommunications giant suggests, the future may yet be friendly.
(James Christie is Dean of Theology at the University of Winnipeg)
 

Library Journal 01/06/07 Brown, Brian Arthur.
Noah's Other Son:
Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an. Continuum. 2007. Hardcover c.256p. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-8264-2797-7. $21.95. REL

These are the days of religious fanaticism, extremism, and rabid devotion - not to mention miscommunication and misunderstanding. Interfaith relations, in short, are strained. Especially tense are the interactions between and among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Brown, a minister of the United Church of Canada, implores the world's believers to understand one another, arguing that "to judge all Muslims by standards set by Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein is as mistaken as to judge Christians by the Crusades or the Ku Klux Klan."

He highlights 25 characters appearing in both the Bible and the Quran, contending that the story of Noah's other son is a parable or message for our time. Those who heed its warning may transcend sectarian differences to work together in ameliorating such universal concerns as global warming, pandemics, and poverty. Respectful and moderate in tone, the text offers a sober-minded and refreshing approach to religion. Readers will
acquire a mature and tolerant perspective on religion and gain an understanding of the similarities among these three influential faiths. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
 

Toronto Journal of Theology Review:
Brian Arthur Brown. Noah's Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qu'ran. Continuum, 2007, pp. 244; $21.95 (US).

in authors such as Jon Berquist, Marie Fortune, Leonard Hummel, Michael Jinkins, Rebekah Miles. The movement is noPastoral theology has emerged in recent decades as a crucial dimension of faithful, intellectual reflection and discourse table for its commitments to method, diversity of perspectives and enhanced integration of theology for ministry. Brian Arthur Brown’s latest book is a singularly outstanding example of what one might call ‘inter-faith pastoral theology.’

Stricken by the collective North American experience of 9/11, Brown draws upon a full career of writing and reflection from the perspective of a United Church of Canada minister / author. He realizes well his goal to provide a way of knowing Islam from a generous Christian reading of its scripture: the Qur’an. Brown proceeds to construct an inter-textual comparison with the Bible. His book helps readers, especially those occupied in ministry, both lay and ordained, with resources for congregational and community-wide learning and dialogue. Indeed, the book has proved so helpful that it is already being used as a course text in theological education. Determined to assist the reader in appreciating the commonalities with biblical religions of Judaism and Christianity, as well as sensitivity to their own failings in contexts of war and violence, Brown provides an extraordinary angle of approach that his highly readable and well-thought out.

For those familiar with the contents of Qur’an, the title of Brown’s book highlights the similarity and difference among the Abrahamic traditions. The flood narrative of the Pentateuch has Noah of course as its central figure, along with his three sons; but the Qur’an knows of a fourth son, one that refused to heed the entreaty to enter the ark. Brown highlights the long traditions of Islamic reading of the Bible looking for prophecies pertaining to Mohammad as rather similar to Christological readings of the Old Testament. Refraining from facile harmonization of the three faiths, let alone attempting to present the superiority of any one, Brown performs the great service of showing how the overlap of scriptural and narrative themes and personages provide an extensive basis for mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence.

Pastoral theology of inter-faith dialogue contributes to shaping of local practices and understanding in fundamental ways. As a recent conference on Abrahamic faith in the University of Toronto showed, the intersection of instructional practices beginning with children, all the way to the reformulation of theologies that include the other while remaining other, must have local expression. This takes place incomparably between ministers and lay leaders from community to community. Much of theological education as well has as its mission the integration of theology and life. In our new century and new millennium, the realization that for Judaism and Islam, scripture is always the script from which and by which the world is interpreted and relations are negotiated, Brown’s contribution is a solid piece of what has come to be termed: ‘scriptural reasoning.’ As such I commend it as one of the best contributions of its kind currently available in North America. ………Reviewed by Professor Kurt Anders Richardson
 

Unknown to most of us, earlier in October, a local resident of Niagara Falls found a book he had authored at the top of the list in Amazon.com’s category of “ecumenism” in the “theology” section. Brian Brown is a retired minister with the United Church of Canada who most recently served the Stevensville and Sherkston congregations. In previous years he has served in such cities as Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Dawson Creek and Toronto. Now he is moving up the charts at Amazon.com.

His new book that has been getting attention is titled “Noah’s Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur’an.”

On the liner cover, Brown writes:
“I was surprised to realize how much we did not know about Islam. We knew that Muslims believed in Jesus as some kind of prophet, but did we know that they believe he is the Messiah, born of a virgin, and that they wait his second coming? We knew a little about Muhammad, but did we know that Muslims believe Jesus was speaking about Muhammad when he promised to send an advocate or comforter? Who knew that women who are nameless in the Bible have their names recorded in the Qur’an? And who would have imagined that Noah had a rebellious son who refused to get on board the ark and drowned (such a preachable story), or other details from the biblical cast of characters who populate the Qur’an?”

In a personal conversation with the author, Brown told me that: “The prophets are often called “warners” in the Qur’an, like Noah, who warned his neighbours about the flood, and also his youngest son, Canaan, who disregarded the warning and drowned. This is the central “parable” or message in the book, suggesting that modern people are sometimes like Canaan, ignoring the warners God sends in our time like Al Gore, and Michael Moore, or possibly Naomi Kline and Maude Barlow.

We might be surprised to learn that we ourselves sometimes look strange through Eastern eyes. While Westerners fret about Muslim women being too sheltered, the Eastern world is astounded to realize that every Western city requires Women’s Shelters for abused women. While some of us consider the covering of women’s bodies in public to be excessive, Muslim women are shocked that “Western women are expected to wear special undergarments to exhibit their breasts for men.”

In a book review of “Noah’s Other Son” the prestigious US “Library Journal” states: “These are days of religious fanaticism, extremism, and rabid devotion- not to mention miscommunication and misunderstanding. Interfaith relations, in short, are strained. Especially tense are the interactions between and among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Brown implores the world’s believers to understand one another, arguing that “to judge all Muslims be standards set by Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein is as mistaken as to judge all Christians by the Crusades or the Ku Klux Klan.”

He highlights 25 characters appearing in both the Bible and the Qur’an, contending that the story of Noah's other son is a parable or message for our time. Those who heed its warning may transcend sectarian differences to work together in ameliorating such universal concerns as global warming, pandemics, and poverty. Respectful and moderate in tone, the text offers a sober-minded and refreshing approach to religion. Readers will acquire a mature and tolerant perspective on religion and gain an appreciation of similarities among these three faiths.”

In another review, one of America’s latest management gurus, Dennis DeWilde claims that, “There may be at least three main purposes of this book. In the first instance, Dr. Brown seems to be calling us to be closer to God, so that we can be closer to each other, in an attempt to turn-the-tide in the ongoing feud within what the author refers to as the dysfunctional `family of Abraham'. A second purpose may be to inform the Judeo-Christian community of the similarities between their Sacred Scriptures and the Islamic community's Scared Texts, and to invite this Judeo-Christian community to consider the contribution the Qur'an has to offer toward enriching their understanding of God's messages. And, thirdly he may be encouraging Islamic scholars to open the Qur'an to critical analysis and share the quest to unravel the many mysteries of God's word. These multiple purposes present a broad mandate, perhaps too broad for today's book market that seems to respond better to simple, single themed fables than thoughtful answers to the multifaceted challenges of real life. In my view these purposes are worthy, and Dr. Brown does an excellent job of addressing them. The book is highly recommended for group study and individual reading.”

For those wanting to know more there is a reading and meet-the-author at 1:30 pm tomorrow, Sunday, November 4, at the Niagara Falls Public Library, followed by a book signing tomorrow at Coles Bookstore in the Niagara Square Mall from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. But you won’t see me there. I’m already reading my autographed copy.
 

A top pick for any serious spirituality collection., July 8, 2007

By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
NOAH'S OTHER SON: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN examines over twenty figures who play major roles in both the Old and New Bible Testaments and the Qur'an. Author Brian Brown is a Canadian minister ministering in communities where Christian majorities interact with Muslim and Jewish minorities: his purpose in NOAH'S OTHER SON is to bridge gaps between Islam and the West through considering common religious experiences and images. Even readers well versed in Christianity may be surprised to learn that women who are nameless in the Bible have their records in the Qur'an, and that Noah had a rebellious other son who refused to get on board the ark and thus drowned. A top pick for any serious spirituality collection.
 

Powells’ Books Review

The title of the book comes from the description of believers in the Abrahamic faith traditions in the Qur'an. Brown very simply proceeds through his book to help Jews and Christians understand the role that several biblical figures from their own traditions play in Islam. Do Christians know, for example, that Jesus in the Qur'an was speaking about Muhammad when he promised to send an Advocate or Comforter? Who would have imagined that Noah had a rebellious son who refused to get on the ark? Brown uses this method of examining scriptural characters as a way of seeing Islam in its pure light, without the distortions of history or individual failings.
(Quoted also by Allan & Unwin in Australia)
 

January 23, 2008  ‘Abraham’s dysfunctional family’
Canadian pastor makes case for interfaith relations in new book
by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The Rev. Brian Arthur Brown likes to call Muslims, Christians and Jews “Abraham’s dysfunctional family.”
For though the sacred texts of the three “Abrahamic” religions share many common precepts and characters, mistrust and misunderstanding between them seems to grow rather than recede, says the United Church of Canada pastor and author of a provocative new book, Noah’s Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur’an.

In the book, which rose to number one on the religious books list on Amazon.com after it was released last spring and has stayed in the top 25 since, Brown examines 25 familiar figures who appear in both the Bible and Qur’an, “revealing how these characters can point present-day Muslims, Christians and Jews toward more mature relationships.”

He begins with Noah’s youngest son, Canaan, who, according to the Qur’an, derided his parents for building the ark, refused to go aboard, and drowned in the Flood in spite of Noah’s warnings.

“Twenty-first century people can so easily ignore the warnings of our times,” Brown told the Presbyterian News Service in a recent interview during a three-week tour promoting his book. The tour started and ended in Presbyterian churches in Ohio and Florida, respectively.

“Those who heed the warnings of this parable may be able to transcend their sectarian differences to work together to address universal concerns such as global warming, pandemics and poverty,” he says. Otherwise we may all drown in the flood.

Brown says he thinks his book is doing well because “churches are more and more responsive to interfaith relationships,” particularly since 9/11. “I have observed a decided switch, an emphasis on interfaith understanding rather than ‘comparative religion,’” he says, “where the purpose is to convince or convert.”
Brown, a Toronto-area pastor who received his theological education from McGill University and San Francisco Theological Seminary, says readers are surprised to learn how many common characters populate both the Bible and the Qur’an.
For instance, he says, “The Qur’an says much more about Mary the mother of Jesus than the Bible does. The Qur’an describes Mary has having a priestly vocation, which makes her much more frequently cited by Muslim feminists than by Christian scholars.”

Brown says he hopes his book will also break down the post-9/11 negativity that has grown around Islam. “Christian extremists — Hitler, Mussolini, the Ku Klux Klan — got the upper hand in the 20th century,” he explained. “To now judge Islam by Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein is at least as distorted as to judge Christianity by those people.”

Dennis DeWilde, author of The Performance Connection, says Brown’s book may be even more valuable to Muslims. “He may be encouraging Islamic scholars to open the Qur’an to critical analyses and share the quest to unravel the many mysteries of God’s word.”