One common argument against taking the notion of divine revelation seriously is the extraordinrary diversity which exists betwen the world's major religions. How can God be thought to have spoken to humanity when the conclusions drawn are so very different? David Brown authoritatively and persuasively tackles this issue head-on. He refutes the idea that all faiths necessarily culminate in Christianity, or that they can be reduced to some facile lowest common denominator, arguing instead that ideas may emerge more naturally in one context than another. Sometimes, because of its own singular situation, another religion has proved to be more perceptive on a particular issue than Christianity. At other times, no religion will hold the ultimate answer because what can be asserted is heavily dependent on what is viable both scientifically and philosophically. Although complete reconciliation is impossible, a richer notion of revelation – so the author suggests – can be the result.
How can believers in one faith value another without either reducing all religion to some lowest common denominator or suggesting that other religions only partially anticipate one's own? David Brown persuasively argues that sometimes the greater insight lies elsewhere: learning from each other is actually essential to any religion's flourishing.
