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Summary
Summary
In Jesus of Arabia, the Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson introduces an unfamiliar Jesus--Jesus in the context of his home in the Middle East. Whether readers believe Jesus to be a prophet or the messiah, Thompson enhances our understanding of his work and character by looking at his social context as a man and Middle Easterner. Jesus's teachings take on new meaning as Thompson explores themes including family in Arabia, gender roles in the region, food culture, and more.
Jesus of Arabia looks at the bridges between Islam and Christianity through the figure of Jesus and how the two communities may reflect each other despite their differences. Thompson draws on his experience as a priest in the Anglican Church and his many years living in the Middle East to analyze the often conflicting roles and loyalties concerning family, culture, and God. A timely and incisive work, Jesus of Arabia invites us to consider contemporary views of the Middle East and how a figure like Jesus might be received today.
Author Notes
The Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson MBE is senior chaplain of St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Abu Dhabi. He has served the church in the United Kingdom and throughout the Middle East and the Gulf. Previously a youth worker, he was featured recently in the documentary One on Christian-Muslim dialogue shown at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. He was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to human rights and interfaith dialogue. He is a Canon of Bahrain Cathedral in the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Thompson, an Anglican priest living in Abu Dhabi, draws on over 20 years working in the Middle East to de-Westernize Gospel stories in this accessible book of clarifications. Intrigued by aspects of Gulf Arab culture that reminded him of the world portrayed in the New Testament, Thompson decided to dig into the ways Gospel stories have been distorted over time and across cultures: "I want to retrieve the Jesus of history who through accident of modern imperialism and colonialism has become infused with a Western identity." Thompson weaves together reflections on such topics as camels, seating dilemmas in the majlis (meeting room), the dangers of ancient pearl diving, and the differences between English and Middle Eastern sheepherding. Acknowledging frankly the speculative quality of this cross-cultural approach, Thompson also provides suggestions for future exploration and encourages efforts towards Muslim-Christian religious dialogue. Thompson's gentle, earnest faith is evident throughout, as are his respect for the Muslim religion and his love for the Gulf region and its peoples. Though this impressionistic, wide-ranging account contains some vague premises and poorly expressed arguments, it offers engaging perspectives on Gospel stories that are rarely considered by Western readers. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Anglican clergyman Thompson knows Arabian culture from decades spent in the Persian Gulf region. Pointing out that Islam reveres Jesus as a great prophet, Thompson proceeds to many aspects of Jesus' teaching that Arabs understand more readily than non-Arabs, such as and this will surprise most Westerners why Jesus likens himself to a shepherd, which has to do with different ways of shepherding in the Middle East and the West. Thompson discusses particular images, concepts, and poetic structures Jesus used to connect with his original hearers, relating them to four large, overlapping themes of Arabic culture, then and now, namely, The Family, Honor, and Hospitality; Religion; Women; and Language. Although conceived and first published (in Abu Dhabi) to encourage understanding and rapport among Muslim and Christian Arabs, Thompson's treatise is so ingratiating that anyone seeking to understand Jesus better may cherish it. Appendixes on the supposed corruption of Gospel texts, Muslim views of the Crucifixion and Jesus' divinity, and The Bible on Arabs and Arabia add value.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2018 Booklist
Table of Contents
| Foreword | p. ix |
| Preface | p. xiii |
| Acknowledgments | p. xix |
| Introduction | p. xxi |
| Part 1 Family, Honour and Hospitality | |
| Overview | p. 3 |
| Camel | p. 13 |
| Majlis | p. 21 |
| Wedding | p. 25 |
| Part 2 Religion | |
| Overview | p. 39 |
| Fasting | p. 45 |
| Pearl | p. 51 |
| Feet | p. 57 |
| Part 3 Women | |
| Overview | p. 65 |
| Scent | p. 71 |
| Water | p. 79 |
| Hospitality | p. 91 |
| Part 4 Language | |
| Overview | p. 99 |
| Shepherd | p. 107 |
| Bread | p. 113 |
| Run | p. 125 |
| Part 5 The Elephant in the Room | |
| Conclusion | p. 135 |
| Appendix A Corruption of Scriptures | p. 145 |
| Appendix B Islamic Views of the Crucifixion | p. 153 |
| Appendix C The Identity of Christ | p. 163 |
| Appendix D The Bible on Arabs and Arabia | p. 175 |
| Bibliography | p. 189 |
| Index | p. 195 |