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American Morning
Interview with Bruce Feiler
Aired December 25, 2002 - 09:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're talking about the biblical father to best seller, Abraham. He's getting the star treatment these days, the man Muslims, Christians, and Jews, they share as a patriarch. He is the subject of a new book as well, which seeks to understand his legacy and his potential as a peacemaker. The book is called, "Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths," and the author, Bruce Feiler, joining us now on this Christmas morning -- good morning to you.
BRUCE FEILER, AUTHOR, "ABRAHAM": Good morning. Good to see you again.
KAGAN: And what's interesting about this book, of course, the people are watching this morning, there is a good chance that they're not Christian, perhaps not celebrating Christmas, but that is the thing about this book. You're trying to find one historical figure who, perhaps, could tie together the three faiths.
FEILER: Well, as you know, we were last together, you and I, talking about my book "Walking the Bible," which describes this year I spent retracing the five books of Moses through the desert, and I was actually busy working on a follow-up book to that trek when I got a call from my brother last year on September 11, Look outside your window.
As you recall, we heard these questions -- who they were they, why do they hate us, can the religions get along? And one name echoes behind that, Abraham. Abraham. He is, as you say, the shared father of Jews, Christians and Muslims. That's 12 million Jews, 2 billion Christians, 1 billion Muslims -- half the humans alive today.
KAGAN: He does show up in all the religions, but everyone doesn't have the same interpretation of him, and even have the same history of him.
FEILER: Well, what I found, actually, in this search, I went looking for Abraham, is that in the story itself there really is a clear message of unity that all three religions share.
God chooses Abraham in Genesis 12, and says go forth and I will bless you, and bless all the families of the earth through you. Abraham has two sons, Ismael, father of the Muslims, Isaac, father of the Jews and the Christians, and there really is a clear message of unity.
But what happens is, over time, the religions sort of elbowed one another aside and tried to claim him for themselves. Jews made him into a Jew in many ways, Christians into a Christian, Muslim into a Muslim.
And I think that while that frustrated me originally, I think ultimately it presents this opportunity that we can go around, almost behind the stories, back to the original text, and there's the message of unity that perhaps we need.
KAGAN: People who are familiar with your work know that you kind of -- you like to go on a journey, and you kind of take your readers along on that journey. It's a journey that, at least when you went after Abraham, it kind of changed. I think you went with your eyes really bright, and really hopeful, and maybe I don't want so say cynical at the end, not that far, but maybe a little bit more realistic in how he could possibly pull together.
FEILER: Well, the last thing I did in my journey was I went to Hebron. It is one of the bloodiest cities on the planet, as you know, and I drove what is called -- down what is called the "sniper road" south from Jerusalem until I got to the tomb of the patriarchs, this giant building that looks like a cross between a gym and a castle.
Four soldiers had to escort me inside it was so unsafe. And it is there that Abraham dies at 175, and in this haunting moment in Genesis 25, his sons Ismael and Isaac, who have been rivals their whole lives, come stand side by side and bury their father.
And that really what I hold on to. And what's interesting about it, Daryn, is what it doesn't say. It doesn't say they hugged or lived happily ever after.
KAGAN: We know that.
FEILER: Exactly. It just says they stood side by side. And I think that is the model here. It's not one religion -- it is, she has her faith, he has his, I have mine, and we stand side by side.
And I think that you mention what's going on today, why we saw Abraham on the cover of "TIME" magazine, and my book now, three months on the best seller list, is people are hungering for hope, and I think that Abraham represents a way for people to start having a conversation of reconciliation.
KAGAN: So having gone on this journey, having learned more about Abraham, having been out there, talking to people, are you more hopeful or less hopeful on this Christmas Day?
FEILER: I believe that people are hungering for hope, that there is this conversation going on. We face a choice. It is open conflict among the religions on one hand, or some alternative. And around this country, in every city in this country, there is the beginning of this interfaith conversation, and Abraham is proving to be a real part of that. And I can't guarantee you how it's going to go out, but I know it's happening and there is no other way to react to that than with hope.
KAGAN: And one way it is happening is these Abraham salons? What is that? FEILER: I created this way for people to have 10, 20 people over to their home, house of worship, bookstore, PTA, and have this interfaith conversation, and I put this material on my Web site, which is BruceFeiler.com, and I wanted to get 50 to 100, I said.
In the last three months, 3,000 people have gone to BruceFeiler.com, downloaded this material, and said, I want to do a small part in my community to help heal the breach in the world. Again, this incredible sign that it's not from the top down. No political leader or religious leader -- in every community, people have said, I want to do a small part to help heal the breach in the world.
KAGAN: That is kind of where it starts.
FEILER: You know, we can't sit back and say, I hope they solve that problem over there in Kabul or Jerusalem. We have to do it in every community and every heart.
KAGAN: I know, just from watching your work, you always don't know what's next. Sometimes it takes you on a different road. But what is next for you?
FEILER: Well, I'm hoping to shoot a documentary of "Walking the Bible," to go back to the Middle East, peace be willing. As soon as you hear what's going on in Iraq, let me know. And then I'm hoping to continue that journey, to go back and walk through the rest of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
KAGAN: Well, whatever it is, be safe.
FEILER: Thank you very much. Good to see you.
KAGAN: Thanks for joining us, and a good and happy, healthy New Year to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 25, 2002 - 09:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're talking about the biblical father to best seller, Abraham. He's getting the star treatment these days, the man Muslims, Christians, and Jews, they share as a patriarch. He is the subject of a new book as well, which seeks to understand his legacy and his potential as a peacemaker. The book is called, "Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths," and the author, Bruce Feiler, joining us now on this Christmas morning -- good morning to you.
BRUCE FEILER, AUTHOR, "ABRAHAM": Good morning. Good to see you again.
KAGAN: And what's interesting about this book, of course, the people are watching this morning, there is a good chance that they're not Christian, perhaps not celebrating Christmas, but that is the thing about this book. You're trying to find one historical figure who, perhaps, could tie together the three faiths.
FEILER: Well, as you know, we were last together, you and I, talking about my book "Walking the Bible," which describes this year I spent retracing the five books of Moses through the desert, and I was actually busy working on a follow-up book to that trek when I got a call from my brother last year on September 11, Look outside your window.
As you recall, we heard these questions -- who they were they, why do they hate us, can the religions get along? And one name echoes behind that, Abraham. Abraham. He is, as you say, the shared father of Jews, Christians and Muslims. That's 12 million Jews, 2 billion Christians, 1 billion Muslims -- half the humans alive today.
KAGAN: He does show up in all the religions, but everyone doesn't have the same interpretation of him, and even have the same history of him.
FEILER: Well, what I found, actually, in this search, I went looking for Abraham, is that in the story itself there really is a clear message of unity that all three religions share.
God chooses Abraham in Genesis 12, and says go forth and I will bless you, and bless all the families of the earth through you. Abraham has two sons, Ismael, father of the Muslims, Isaac, father of the Jews and the Christians, and there really is a clear message of unity.
But what happens is, over time, the religions sort of elbowed one another aside and tried to claim him for themselves. Jews made him into a Jew in many ways, Christians into a Christian, Muslim into a Muslim.
And I think that while that frustrated me originally, I think ultimately it presents this opportunity that we can go around, almost behind the stories, back to the original text, and there's the message of unity that perhaps we need.
KAGAN: People who are familiar with your work know that you kind of -- you like to go on a journey, and you kind of take your readers along on that journey. It's a journey that, at least when you went after Abraham, it kind of changed. I think you went with your eyes really bright, and really hopeful, and maybe I don't want so say cynical at the end, not that far, but maybe a little bit more realistic in how he could possibly pull together.
FEILER: Well, the last thing I did in my journey was I went to Hebron. It is one of the bloodiest cities on the planet, as you know, and I drove what is called -- down what is called the "sniper road" south from Jerusalem until I got to the tomb of the patriarchs, this giant building that looks like a cross between a gym and a castle.
Four soldiers had to escort me inside it was so unsafe. And it is there that Abraham dies at 175, and in this haunting moment in Genesis 25, his sons Ismael and Isaac, who have been rivals their whole lives, come stand side by side and bury their father.
And that really what I hold on to. And what's interesting about it, Daryn, is what it doesn't say. It doesn't say they hugged or lived happily ever after.
KAGAN: We know that.
FEILER: Exactly. It just says they stood side by side. And I think that is the model here. It's not one religion -- it is, she has her faith, he has his, I have mine, and we stand side by side.
And I think that you mention what's going on today, why we saw Abraham on the cover of "TIME" magazine, and my book now, three months on the best seller list, is people are hungering for hope, and I think that Abraham represents a way for people to start having a conversation of reconciliation.
KAGAN: So having gone on this journey, having learned more about Abraham, having been out there, talking to people, are you more hopeful or less hopeful on this Christmas Day?
FEILER: I believe that people are hungering for hope, that there is this conversation going on. We face a choice. It is open conflict among the religions on one hand, or some alternative. And around this country, in every city in this country, there is the beginning of this interfaith conversation, and Abraham is proving to be a real part of that. And I can't guarantee you how it's going to go out, but I know it's happening and there is no other way to react to that than with hope.
KAGAN: And one way it is happening is these Abraham salons? What is that? FEILER: I created this way for people to have 10, 20 people over to their home, house of worship, bookstore, PTA, and have this interfaith conversation, and I put this material on my Web site, which is BruceFeiler.com, and I wanted to get 50 to 100, I said.
In the last three months, 3,000 people have gone to BruceFeiler.com, downloaded this material, and said, I want to do a small part in my community to help heal the breach in the world. Again, this incredible sign that it's not from the top down. No political leader or religious leader -- in every community, people have said, I want to do a small part to help heal the breach in the world.
KAGAN: That is kind of where it starts.
FEILER: You know, we can't sit back and say, I hope they solve that problem over there in Kabul or Jerusalem. We have to do it in every community and every heart.
KAGAN: I know, just from watching your work, you always don't know what's next. Sometimes it takes you on a different road. But what is next for you?
FEILER: Well, I'm hoping to shoot a documentary of "Walking the Bible," to go back to the Middle East, peace be willing. As soon as you hear what's going on in Iraq, let me know. And then I'm hoping to continue that journey, to go back and walk through the rest of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
KAGAN: Well, whatever it is, be safe.
FEILER: Thank you very much. Good to see you.
KAGAN: Thanks for joining us, and a good and happy, healthy New Year to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
