Wednesday, July 11, 2007

My Cousin Brian's New Book! NOAH’S OTHER SON: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur’an

My first cousin, Brian Brown has published a new book.  Brian is my Aunt Margaret's son and has had very successful parallel careers as a United Church Minister and author.  Here's his publisher's description of his new work:
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NOAH'S OTHER SON: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an
By Brian Arthur Brown / Salman Rushdie contributes to the Foreword
Book launched at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, April 16, 2007
Published simultaneously by T&T Clark (UK) and Continuum Group (USA)
Contact John Mark Boling, Continuum, 212.953.5858   $21.95 US hardcover / 256 pp 
In these troubled times of religious extremism, interfaith relations between Christians, Muslims, and Jews are increasingly important. A minister of the United Church of Canada, ministering in communities where  Christian majorities interface with robust Muslim and Jewish minorities, Brian Arthur Brown began to ask questions after 9/11, and what he found fascinated him.
 
The Qur'an says Jesus was the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary, rose
on high, and will return prior to Judgement Day? Biblical women had names preserved in the Qur'an?  The coming of Muhammad was prophesied by both Moses and Jesus? Who knew these things?  Then there is the story of Noah's other son, a story not found anywhere in the Bible. 
 
In the Qur'an, Noah is described as a "warner" and his youngest son, Canaan, was among those who failed to heed the warnings in this cautionary tale.  Canaan derides his parents for making an ark and refuses to get on board, even as the rain falls, and he drowns. Brian Arthur Brown uses the story of Noah's Other Son as a parable for our time. Al Gore and Michael Moore are famous warners in the twenty first century.  Will we listen or perish.  This book is itself a warning about internecine strife, particularly among the members of what Brown calls "Abraham's dysfunctional family."
 
Noah's Other Son examines twenty-five familiar figures who play major roles in the Qu'ran and in the Bible, revealing how understanding the characters in these texts can point the present-day Muslim, Jew, and Christian toward a more mature concept of religion. Noah's Other Son also serves as an introduction to the place of the Qur'an in Muslim and world culture, as well as a tool to help equip moderate religious people to deal with extremism wherever it may be found.
 
BRIAN ARTHUR BROWN received theological training at McGill University in Montreal, completed his doctorate at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, and did postdoctoral work at Harvard. He is an established author in the fields of French-English relations and Native-White tensions in Canada, Canada's relationship with the USA and Canada's role in peacekeeping around the world. He and his wife, Jenny, now live in Niagara Falls, Canada, in a rambling old house frequently filled with their children and grandchildren.
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We have a copy - bought it through Indigo.  You should be able to get it through both Indigo and other booksellers.  I'll write more as I start to read it.
 
B.
 
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4 comments:

  1. Hey there Binky. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the book if you ever read it. I've read it as well in addition to some other related material.

    I've enjoyed looking at your other blog posts too - great blog.

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  2. Thanks very much!!

    Good to know I have a reader.

    Yeah- I think I'd likel to write some more about the book.

    B.

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  3. Hey Binky! Just getting back to this now. Ah yes ... I've enjoyed reading your blog, so yes ...I'm a "reader".

    (I'm also your cousin Brian's daughter ;-).

    Take care buddy!!
    I.

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  4. Oops ... I guess I meant to put "Inner_Mystic" instead of "Indira" ... but I'm sure you figured it out anyway :-).

    ReplyDelete