Noah's Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an [Hardcover]

Brian Arthur Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

"Respectful and moderate in tone...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."
--Library Journal

In his compelling book, pastor Brian Brown engages in conciliatory dialogue with Christians, Jews, and Muslims in an attempt to recover the beauty and value of Islam for the West. Noah's Other Son helps 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 and drowned?

There has never been a greater potential for misunderstanding between the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, as the treacherous situation in which the world now finds itself. Brian Brown examines scriptural characters as a way of seeing Islam in its pure light, without the distortions of history or individual failings. Noah's Other Son provides an excellent starting point for Christian-Jewish-Muslim dialogue.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brown, 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 Suddam 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 a 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." C. Brian Smith, Library Journal, June 1, 2007 (Library Journal )

"Even readers well versed in Christianity may be surprised... A top pick for any serious spirituality collection."- The Internet Bookwatch, July 2007

(The Internet Bookwatch )

"In an era of discord, this work will rejoices in the affirmation of human spirituality"

Reviewed in Saudi Aramco World in March/April 2008

(Khalid Afandi )

“Brown, 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 Suddam 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 a 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.” C. Brian Smith, Library Journal, June 1, 2007 (, )

“Even readers well versed in Christianity may be surprised… A top pick for any serious spirituality collection.”- The Internet Bookwatch, July 2007

(, )

"In an era of discord, this work will rejoices in the affirmation of human spirituality"

Reviewed in Saudi Aramco World in March/April 2008

(, )

About the Author

Brian Arthur Brown is a minister of the United Church of Canada.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826427979
• ISBN-13: 978-0826427977
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A top pick for any serious spirituality collection., July 8, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Noah's Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an (Hardcover)

NOAH'S OTHER SON: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN examines over twenty figures who plan 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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sacred Stories Beyond Tradition, October 26, 2007

By 

Dennis DeWilde "The Performance Connection" (Cleveland area, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Noah's Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an (Hardcover)

In this enlightening integration of sacred stories and persons common to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths, Dr. Brian Arthur Brown (minister of the United Church of Canada) allows Qur'anic verse to add depth and meaning to messages from the `God of Abraham'. Using scriptures from each tradition, (Jewish, Christian, Muslim), and acknowledging the Torah as a "prequel" to Christian Scriptures and both as "prequels" to the Qur'an, Dr. Brown presents 'common' sacred stories that have relevance in our modern world. Although the integration of these scared texts would seem enough of a challenge for one book, Dr. Brown goes further, translating the messages into modern day application - a sermon or two from each story. Thus, the reader not only receives the expanded richness of these Sacred Stories, the reader gets to ponder their meaning for today's inhabitants of God's earth.

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. Dennis DeWilde, author of "The Performance Connection"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshingly unbiased analyzation, November 20, 2009

By 

Jane - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Noah's Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur'an (Paperback)

The author, Brian Arthur Brown, is a minister of the United Church of Canada, which initially concerned me as I was looking for a most unbiased analyzation between the Bible and the Qur'an. However, I am happy to report that this book celebrates the similarities between the Abrahamic religions and promotes faith with "eyes wide open" as opposed to the "blind faith" that breeds such hatred and misunderstanding between the members of Abraham's family. Recognizing the importance of Judaism as a Foundation, Christianity as a Spiritual Temple, and Islam as "the Dome roof over this family shrine," we find that each religion only enriches the other. I have passed this book along to co-workers and friends; always returned with high praises.