Christianity and Islam: A Case for Comparison and Contrast

The gentle gayhood is a place marked with essential potpourri. In particular, whizz that has to take valet organized religions as a composite phenomenon to beaver exemplify the diversified character of gentle affairs. But much too often, diversity stub become a authoritative catalyst for misgivings and misunderstandings. This for instance happens when, still pertaining to religion, a per word of honor pits on sight administration in respect to a nonher, or per parole tries to compare one set of doctrines against an different.It is frankincense not surprising to learn that religion was often, and is in fact currently cosmos taken as an unwarranted case for heated debates, if not for humane conflicts all told together. In view of the foregoing, it is insightful to trans armorial bearing line that roadmap of this study aims not at sowe seeds of spectral division as collocating the interesting correspondences that may be gleaned from juxtaposing deliverymanianity on the one spot of the spectrum, and Islam on the other side of the spectrum.At the genuinely least, the crux of this radical aims at pursue a successful comparison and production line among Christianity and Islam. In the process, this piece hopes to lever cardinal strains of resemblances between the two religions in question, against the palpable differences that already define them. To this end, the commutation thesis of this paper lies in present that yet patent differences, Christianity and Islam can in fact manifest elements of correspondences, while upholding adept uniqueness in their own beliefs.Methodology and grasp Briefly, it needs to be cited that, for purposes of clarification and delineation, this paper employs an expository approach in discussing the major themes of the religions in question. An expository approach is through and through so as to elucidate on, with evidentiary analyses, the topics that may be deemed appropriate for discussion.Since this pap er would not to attempt to exhaustively bound all the aspects pertinent to the two religions, owing much to the limits provided for this particular study, the discussions shall zero in on expounding on the similarities and differences between the two religions in respect to at least deuce-ace distinct aspects the federal agency which their own founders play in their respective(prenominal) belief-systems, the fiber of the monotheism private eye in twain(prenominal)(prenominal) religions, and the differing notions of Abrahams employment in their credence and life.Christianity and Islam A Ponderous Juxtaposition Christianity emerged from a handful of followers of a man named deliverer the Christ, sometime during the first century. disgorge in other words, the Christian phantasmal phenomenon takes root from a piddling familiarity that first embraced the teachings of deliverer as a both(prenominal) compelling and sufficient beat to deflect from the more dominant spectral force of the time namely, Judaism. Thus, the precipitating curtilage of Christianity was and is a man named Jesus (McGrath 1).Which is why, Tavard contends that Christianity is a spiritual movement that commenced when an undetermined progeny of Jews believed that the prophet Jesus of Nazareth, who has risen from the curtly was alive in their midst by the power of beau ideals olfactory property (15) a movement which was greeted with much despise and skepticism initially. For Christians, Jesus Christ is both the center and crux of their cartel. They hold that Jesus Christ is Son of paragon, who was sent by God the Father to redeem creation from misery and sinfulness.Consequential to this belief is the pitly important ascent to the divinity nature and mission of Jesus Christ here on earth. Thus, Christians unreservedly idolize Jesus Christ as a divinity as well. Islam, like Christianity, started too from a small group of association who saw themselves glued by a grippin g need to follow their revered founder in the person of Mohammad. While the reliance in Mohammeds teachings started when Christianity was already an expansive religious force, the historical circumstances defining the payoff of Islam nevertheless manifest seeming(a) strains of similarities with the Christian faith.Like Christianity, Islam started on account of one man Mohammad. And akin to Christianity, the small Mohammedan community was at the onset despised on account of the new faith it embraced (Renard 6). opposed Christianity however, Islam does not invest its founder a respect proper to a divinity. For Moslems, Mohammad is not a god he is instead a prophet of plain human origin and descent. The prophet however is give wayed with precious importance within Islam because it is believed that Allah chose Mohammad to reveal his essence (Renard 7).Secondly, herein it is important to cite that the mode in which the Islamic faith refuses to render Mohammad a kind of rever ence tote up to a divinity reveals only the quality of monotheism which the religion professes. Islamic faith, it has to be mentioned, is operative on a token of monotheism in the strictest sense of the term i. e. the belief that in that respect is only one god, and that such deity, because he is absolutely compulsive, does not have a competing manufacturer force as its rival.Islamic faith believes that Allah the proper name of God as provided by the Quran is identified as the doctrine of tawid or simply, the unity of God. And according to this substitution Islamic idea, (God) is utterly and inevitably One, a perfect unity (and) uniqueness unto himself (Gordon 24). plain put, the Islam religion believes that Allah, and him alone, is the accepted singular typeface of divinity. Christianity meanwhile is operative on a unique kind of monotheism.On the one hand, it has to be noted that like Islam, Christianity concurs to a belief that there is only one God to whom unqualifie d human obedience and worship is due. On the other hand however, Christianity does not subscribe to a radical type of monotheism for while Christianity believes that God is essentially one, it thus far takes such oneness as indicative of a further sociality within it. Christians constitute this the Trinitarian unity of the God, or simply, the collar.And according to this doctrine, the divine life consists in three persons of equal and same(p) nature the Father, the Son (i. e. , Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit (Neuner and Ross 86). As such, the Trinity does not speak of three take apart divine entities otherwise, Christianity would have been best describe as a polytheistic or else than monotheistic faith. What this doctrine instead teaches is that the three persons of the Trinity are distinct expressions of that same divine reality which is God.Last but not least, it is certainly insightful to appreciate that both Christianity and Islam places advanced premium on the role o f Abraham in their own profession of faiths. This is because both religions share a belief that the remotest root of their faith necessarily throw them backrest to the inheritance which Abraham bequeathed thousands of years passed. In fact, both the Christian record book and the Islamic Quran give Abraham a special importance incisively on account of the fact that it was through him that the first strains of monotheistic faith was successfully practiced.Far more essential, both Christianity and Islam see the supreme importance of Abrahams promethean response to Gods invitation as the primordial inhalant required for living ones own faith and this is for the plain curtilage that Abraham showed how to adore God who requires submission to His decrees, in time when they are inscrutable (McLean). Still, it is imperative to carefully note that both Christianity and Islam differ in their particular understandings of their respective Abrahamic heritage.Christians on the one hand beli eve that Abrahams faith acts as a precursor to the approaching of the Messiah who is Jesus Christ. The Christian Bible speaks of Abraham as the primogenitor to a unnumerable of descendants commencing through Isaac, his only son to Sarah (Gen 17 21). Thus, Christianity holds that Gods covenantal kind with Abraham, and his children, marked the beginning of the long homework that would welcome the sending of His Son into the world at an appointed time. On the other hand, Islam believes that the great Mohammedan tradition draws flat from the fount of the Abrahamic legacy.In other words, Islam maintains that the Moslems are the direct, nay rightful descendants and legitimate heirs to the heritage of Abraham. This is because the Islamic Quran speaks of Ishmael, Abrahams son to Hagar, as the legitimate heir and the primordial progenitor of the Islamic faith. Ishmael, if only to remind, also figures in the Christian Bible as the son of Abraham to his maidservant Hagar. Both Ishmael an d Hagar were throw out of Abrahams household to bring forth a life of their own later Isaac was born to Sarah (Maxwell 168).Notwithstanding conflicting narratives, it still can be said that both Christianity and Islam fare that the gratuitous love of God for piece is the initial act that brings into play the faith with which both religions so sacredly profess. oddment This paper ends with a brief thought that affirms its central thesis expressed hereinabove i. e. , notwithstanding differences, one can glean unmistakable similarities in juxtaposing the teachings and tenets of both Christianity and Islam. In the discussions, patterns of differences and similarities were discussed in respect to three aspects.First, it was seen that both Christianity and Islam places high regard and respect to their revered founders second, both religion embrace monotheism as an epigrammatic aspect for their respective belief-systems and third, Christianity and Islam believe that their universa l Abrahamic heritage lends an initial inspiration to the later(prenominal) coming about of the faith they straight both profess. In the end, it must be acknowledged that efforts to draw similarities against the larger background signal of defining differences surely constitute a welcome avenue not only for inter-religious dialogue but also shared respect.