Tyler D. Mayfield. <i>Father Abraham’s Many Children: The Bible in a World of Religious Difference</i>

Taylor D. Mayfield’s Father Abraham’s Many Children: The Bible in a World of Religious Difference is a new book that seeks to address religious pluralism in the United States from a Christian and biblical perspective. Mayfield uses the book of Genesis as a parallel guide to inform his conversation on the controversial issue of religious diversity in America. He seeks to “place into conversation our contemporary context of religious diversity and the ancient faith stories of Genesis” (p. 3). Mayfield’s method of analysis incorporates a more expansive approach both to religious diversity and to biblical narrative interpretation.The book consists of an introduction and five chapters. The introduction describes the growing religious diversity in the United States, outlines the author’s goals and method, and summarizes the contents of each chapter. The first two chapters lay the theological and biblical foundations for the work and the last three look at contemporary religious diversity through the lens of three narratives of fraternal relationships from Genesis: Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, and Esau and Jacob. In chapter 1, “Religious Diversity and Our Bibles: Retelling the Ancient Stories,” Mayfield proposes that Christians are called to a commitment to engage peoples of other faith traditions more deeply. This deeper engagement requires a movement from religious diversity to religious pluralism, which he defines as engagement with respect, understanding, and acceptance according to the work of Diana Eck, Eboo Patel, and Paul Knitter.“Chosenness and Genesis’s Fuller Story: Reading Expansively,” the second chapter, presents Mayfield’s biblical approach, in which he aligns his commitment to religious pluralism with biblical interpretation. Consequently, he reconsiders the doctrine of election or chosenness using Deut 4:6–8 and Amos 9:7 as lenses to reassess and broaden its meaning. He also proposes a more expansive or fuller reading of the Genesis narratives by listening to the voices of all characters, not just the “chosen” ones.The three chapters on the filial relationship narratives in Genesis emphasize what Mayfield calls the “fuller story” of the older brother. First, in chapter 3, “God Asks Good Questions: The Story of Cain,” Mayfield refocuses the narrative and suggests Cain’s failure was his inability to resolve his emotions, namely, his anger. He further proposes that God’s questions to Cain serve as challenges to the faith of Christians, namely, to resolve or address their feelings of anger in the face of religious diversity and to care for their religious siblings of other faith traditions.Chapter 4, “God Was with the Boy: The Story of Ishmael,” continues Mayfield’s process of reading biblical narratives expansively and identifies the importance and ubiquity of Ishmael in the Abraham narratives, wherein Genesis makes room for both Ishmael and Isaac by blessing each son. This conclusion informs Mayfield’s call for Christians to make room for other faith traditions, since God blesses them also.In the final chapter, Mayfield refocuses the story of Jacob and Esau, lessening the negative qualities ascribed to the older brother. In “Only One Blessing, Father? The Story of Esau,” the sharp distinction between the twin brothers through comparisons is diminished and the binary of good and evil essentially erased. Esau becomes a complex character with both good and bad qualities. His cry to his father is changed from one of despair to one of hope, in that God’s blessing is realized when Jacob blesses Esau in the end. Thus, God’s blessings are inclusive rather than exclusive. Such conclusions lead Mayfield to propose Christians see inclusiveness as a necessary part of religious pluralism, emphasizing God’s blessings and mercies for and to all. Therefore, all faith traditions can be children of Father Abraham, since God’s blessings are inclusive, extending to all.Tyler D. Mayfield’s work is a thoughtful, thought-provoking, and biblically centered attempt to positively address the issue of religious diversity in the United States. His work calls Christians to reflect deeply and honestly about their relationship with other faith traditions and calls them to a high ethical standard of engagement. This engagement is circumscribed by his expansive reading of the Genesis narratives of filial interactions. Essentially, Mayfield situates the matter of religious diversity within the context of familial bonds, suggesting that Christians view other faith traditions not as strangers but as family to be engaged, understood, and respected.