Reviewed for the Christian Century, Chicago, IL. Don Ottenhoff, Senior Editor. August 8th, 2002.

ABRAHAM: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler, William Morrow: New York, NY. 2002. 240 pages. Hardcover. $23.95 US. ISBN 0-380-97776-1.

Reviewed by: Wayne A. Holst

Some of best articulated designs for religious peace have emerged from places tragically devastated by religious turmoil. In its own unique way, this book is one of them.

Daily accounts of violence shatter the Holy Land. Is there a possibility for at least positive coexistence between JerusalemOs three religions> Abraham, the first of the biblical patriarchs, says Bruce Feiler, can be a defining, unifying and hopeful symbol for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. He has been that in the past and he can be that again. The author of last yearOs bestseller Walking the Bible, a blend of history, travel, religious and spiritual autobiography, uses the same formula with this interfaith portrait Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths.

Over time, each of these religions have recreated Abraham in their own image to accomplish their own particular purposes. Now, they must see him as their common father.

Fourteen hundred years after the rise of Muhammad, Feiler says, two thousand years after the ascent of Christianity, twenty-five hundred years after the origin of Judaism, and four thousand years after the birth of Abraham, the worlds three major monotheistic religions are inching toward a posture of open - and equal - deliberation.

There are chapters on Abraham's birth and call; his offspring Ishmael and Isaac; the Jewish, Christian and Islamic peoples who have evolved from him; and finally his legacy.

All we know about Abraham is found in the Bible. On the ground there is nothing. In other words, Abraham actually existed, but science can neither prove nor disprove it. Fifty years ago, pioneer biblical archeologist William Albright declared,"There can be little doubt about the substantial historicity of the patriarchal narratives."Today, most scholars agree that Abraham - whether an actual figure or a composite - actually emerged from the world of Semitic tribes of the Fertile Crescent in the ancient Near East.

In telling his story, however, the Bible is interested in much more than history."It takes elements of history,"Feiler says,"mixes them with elements of myth, and begins to mold them into a theme... We must see (Abraham) not as something we can prove but as something we must believe, just as we see God... God may have made humans in (GodOs) image; we humans made Abraham in our's... (His) legends were not composed by God, but by God intoxicated people."

All three religions agree on Abraham's origins. God's call, and Abraham's response, which confirmed him as the world's first monotheist, are the most universal passages of the entire Abrahamic story.

But the meaning of his life is interpreted differently in each of the traditions. Enmity between his sons Ishmael and Isaac is entrenched. Abraham is implicated in the internecine conflict and he becomes a man of terror as well as of peace.

Over a period of 4,000 years the story of Abraham develops from an oral into a written narrative. The result is a scriptural rendering both timeless and timely. Sacred scripture, in each of the religions, becomes sacrosanct. At pivotal moments, Abraham is transformed from an ancient, shadowy figure, into one perpetually alive. With textual codification, however, also came the bane of fundamentalism.

Feiler concludes with a portrait of the modern Abrahamic legacy. There is not one Abraham, but a myriad of Abrahams. He provides a road map for what has gone wrong among the religions. Yet today, the idea of one exclusive Abrahamic religion is deader than it has been for 2,000 years. The battle for God, where one of the three can triumphantly claim ascendancy, is approaching a stalemate. It is possible for each of the three traditions to draw Abraham to themselves but none can claim exclusivity. We need to engage in serious interfaith dialogue where faith differences are dealt with honestly and not minimized.

Feiler stands contented at the historic site of AbrahamOs tomb near tempestuous Hebron. He recalls that the patriarchOs sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him there in an symbolic gesture of solidarity (Gen. 25:7). We can live together, says the author. We have done so before.

This is a book for those loyal to a specific Abrahamic faith tradition but who are desirous of rising above the confinements of sectarian bias. In spite of the current, seemingly intractable conflicts Feiler approaches this challenging subject positively and hopefully because he knows the power of God at work in history.

I need Abraham as an anchor, he says."This Abraham is not Jewish, Christian or Muslim. He is his own self. The father of us all."

Reviewer's bio: Wayne A. Holst is a writer who has taught religion and culture at the University of Calgary. Prepared for Catholic Missions in Canada