Kenneth L. Vaux, Journey into an Interfaith World: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in a World Come of Age.
Kim, Heon C.
Kenneth L. Vaux, Journey into an Interfaith World: Jews,
Christians, and Muslims in a World Come of Age. Eugene, OR: Wipf &
Stock, 2010. Pp. 255. $31.00, paper.
Suppose," I used to ask my students, "one day when I was
preparing breakfast, I heard my roommate screaming and came in to find a
robber with a mask. What would you do in that situation?" A
consensus of the class was "I would attack him on the spot."
"Suppose then," I challenged, "my cat just jumped onto
the guy and managed to take off his mask? Oh gosh, he was my brother!
Should I still attack him?" Silence followed, warming up the class
for a journey toward an interfaith world.
For anyone who finds this question interesting, this volume offers
thoughtful insights on the topic of peace and war among Jews,
Christians, and Muslims. It asks: "Do we not belong to One
Father?" "Yes, we do," it answers and details the
rationale with its four chapters--the common God, the common good, the
common word, and the common work. These common themes are
well-intertwined and persuasive. The text does not require a deep
reading; rather, it suffices to inform a causal reader "why we need
an interfaith dialogue," and it brings into perspective the
question as to why people with "One Father" act as if they are
totally different religious others--and even do violence to one another.
Likewise, this volume is a valuable resource for the general reader. It
is also a good fit for professionals who need useful topics and insights
for interfaith dinner tables, lectures, and researches.
The biblical story of the Akedah (the binding of Isaac) is the key
of this volume. Using this story, it traces the genealogical origin of
the three Abrahamic faiths--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,
elucidating a "golden chain," a strong and unbreakable
connection between them and, thereby, binding them. This Akedic binding
is intriguing, especially for the field of religious bioethics (pp.
176-182). Yet, just as the story frames this work, it also limits its
scope. Particularly, the assumed centrality of Akedah in Islam seems
somewhat far-fetched and arbitrary. As the author himself acknowledges,
the Qur'an does not name Abraham's son in the binding; most
Muslims consider that it was Ishmael--not Isaac. In history, the debate
around the son's identity was, at times, linked to the view of
one's religious superiority over the others.
If this volume were consistent in focusing on Abraham instead of
Isaac in the story (as some passages actually do), its argument would
have been more convincing. This suggestion, however, does not diminish
the value of this book to be a timely guide to an interfaith and
inclusivist world in the world of "exclusivist religions,"
"just-war," and "a clash of civilizations."
Heon C. Kim, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA
