...ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY Christianity and Islam share much common ground, but when it comes to god they have different beliefs.Both trace their roots to Abraham. Both believe in prophecy, God's messengers(apostles), revelation, scripture, the resurrection of dead, and the centrality of religious community. This last element is especially important. Both Christianity and Islam have a communitarian dimension: what the church is to Christianity the"umma" is to Islam. Despite these significant similarities, however, these two world religions have a number of significant differences as well.I would like to comment on these -- not to engage in any kind of polemic (since I consider polemic a sign of religious immaturity)but to foster better understanding. A true dialogue between religions can be built only on nuanced understanding and not caricature. I will discuss these differences under four general headings: I -- The Understanding of God ============================= Muslims and Christians believe there is only one God / Allah. The basic testimony of Islam is called the 'shahada', the first clause of which states that "la ilaha illa Allah" -- "There is no god but God." This is certainly a statement that Christians would affirm. But how Christians and Muslims conceptualize God in their respective theologies is actually quite different. The emphasis in the Islamic theology of God can be summarized by one word: 'tawhid'...
Words: 4662 - Pages: 19
...Purpose Statement The purpose of this paper is to educate our readers about the two largest religions in the world: Christianity and Islam. Religion has served in many societies as a mean of structure or social control, with rules that govern how people interact socially. We will be looking at the origin, similarities, differences, beliefs and festivals of each religion. Invariably, our aim is to ascertain through research data and interviews why Christianity is the world’s most popular religion, but more so why it is deemed most superior. Statement of Qualification. Our group strongly believes in the fundamental teachings of Christianity, having been exposed to its teachings from early childhood. We are respecters of all religions hence our research topic, to bring about a greater level of understanding of both, while identifying the beliefs and values these two great religion is built on. Based on our own individual experiences and personal realization of nature and how things are interconnected, we conclude that there is definitely a higher power that oversees everyone and everything, and it’s faith in this higher power that brought birth to Christianity. Review of Literature Religion is a controversial topic that has been debated with great enthusiasm by sociologists, theologians, and even students; some argue that the belief in religion is for closed minded individuals. One sociologist aimed to defend the fact that religion...
Words: 1350 - Pages: 6
...Islam and Christianity Robert Gilman 9/5/2010 HUM/130 Gerald Ediger Islam is a monotheistic faith and is the world’s second largest religion second to Christianity. Islam in an Arabic word means submission. The word Islam is derived from the word Salom meaning peace and the word Muslim is related to the work Islam meaning “one who surrenders” or submits to God. The followers of the Islamic faith are called Muslims and they believe that Muhammad in known as the prophet along with Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Muslims adhere to the principles of the Koran which teaches peace and tolerance. Muslims adhere to the principles of the Koran which teach peace and tolerance (Howie, 2010). I recently had a chance to interview a gentlemen which goes by the name Usama, he speaks with an accent but speaks very well. I want to compare the services with the Catholic services and ask him how often do the attend service he replied, “as often as one wants too” others practice in solitary, he then said that they encourage everyone to practice with the congregation which is on Friday service and begins around 12:15p which depends on the time of the year and there is also a service around 3:00p. The service last about 2 hours could be longer or shorter depending on the iman. The men are require to bath before they come to service and in his...
Words: 820 - Pages: 4
...Kyle Baldani Religious Studies Islam and Christianity: A Comparison October 4, 2010 Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, with more than one and a half billion followers worldwide it is the most rapidly growing religion today. While on the surface Islam and Christianity appear to be very different, the history of the two religions and the core beliefs behind them are very similar. Most of Islam’s population comes from the Middle East, but there are still large amount of Muslims all over the world including Africa, China, and the United States (NationMaster, np). Depending on the region in which they live some customs may vary. Within the United States Islam has grown significantly in the past twenty years, largely due to the high percentage of immigrants coming over from the Middle East. Fundamentally speaking there are a few major correlations between Islam and Christianity. Two of the biggest similarities are the monotheistic bases of the religion, or belief in one God and the belief that both religions result from the direct descendent of Abraham, a quality also shared with Judaism. While there may be many similarities in the area of which the two sects were founded, they still differ in many ways most of which come from the doctrinal beliefs at the heart of each religion. The most important figure in the world of Islam, and a name that is recognized by most around the world is the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in approximately 570 C.E. in the town...
Words: 2351 - Pages: 10
...Christianity and Islam are two of the major world religions today. They are both monotheistic, believing in only one God. Even though Christianity and Islam may have similar beliefs and traditions, the way they understand the Ultimate is very distinct. Both these religions believe that their God is the creator and ruler of all that exists. Christianity believes in God, and how he is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one. They believe that there cannot exist an Ultimate Reality that goes beyond the Holy Trinity. Also, they think that the son of God, Jesus, died on the cross for the people’s sins and that he also walked the earth as a human form of God (The Father). God for them, loves everyone and always chooses love, because he loves...
Words: 330 - Pages: 2
...Christianity and Islam are the two most practiced faiths in the world. There are also many common misconceptions about both religions. Like with all religions, both have different believe systems, but there are more similarities than there are differences. For the most part their history, holy writings, featured leaders, and the way that they go about there everyday lives are more similar than most people think. The most surprising fact is that they both preach almost the same teachings! For example they both follow rules known as the ten commandments. Also, they believe that there is only one true God and that he is the keeper of the universe. Christianity is said to emerge in Levant (modern day Palestine and Israel) during the mid first century AD, initially it spread to places such as: Syria, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Jordan, and Egypt. By the middle ages Christianity had spread over all Europe, mostly because of Europe's Age of exploration. During this time, European explorers in search of new trading partners, new routes, and new goods to sell. There where also some explorers who ventured out to gain more geographical knowledge and to spread religions. Its widely thought that the nation of Islam began in the seventh to eighth century and it rapidly spread to the east and west in short time, due to Arab armies conquering many different place at once. This was made possible by the Persian empire practically collapsing , also allowing Islam to be spread...
Words: 519 - Pages: 3
...Contention between the Islam and the west The Islam world and the west are two civilizations that have been closely entangled in the last fourteen centuries. It is a history full with disagreement and conflict, antagonism and dispute, approval and detestation, recognition and denunciation among other conflictings. Despite the perceptions of Islam and the west, the opinions of those in both Muslim and western worlds have been shaped by these histories. That’s why relations between Islam and the West never lose significance in our world. A short synopsis of this extensive history discloses three facets of interaction; religious, cultural, and political. 1. The Religious Dispute. Islam describes itself to be the last of the three immense Abraham faith societies. The Qurʾān and ḥadīth which are the two lawful foundations of Islam and the scholarly traditions disclose a sharp understanding of Judaism and Christianity. They depict passion for Jews and Christians to unite in monotheism against Meccan polytheism and its decadence. Having from a multi-religious and multicultural environment, the early Muslims were in touch with the diverse Jewish and Christian societies of the East in the 8th and 9th centuries. Subsequently, the belief of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) and Ramon Llull (d. 1315), John of Segovia (d. 1458) , the first missionary to Muslims, believed that opposing the threat of Islam was not by just building armies, which they couldn’t at the time but persuading...
Words: 536 - Pages: 3
...Both Roman Catholicism and Islam are similar in some ways. Both are major western religions. The way in which they function as a moral standard for the people who share the beliefs are very similar to each other. Many of their religious beliefs and practices are the same; they both believe in a single god. Both Islam and Catholicism share the beliefs that you must submit to only one god. This god sees and knows everything. He passes judgment. In these ways Islam is similar to Christianity. Catholicism and Islam contrast more than they show similarity. Catholicism is more oriented towards everyone because it gives women and minorities the same rights as men, it allows them to actively participate. Whereas Islam is geared towards a more patriarchal society; women were considered the property of men. Another difference is that Christianity became popular during a time of social, political, and religious conflict. Islam arose during a relatively stagnant period in history. Christianity was a religion that appealed to everyone: Jews and gentiles; men and women; rich and poor. Jesus claimed to be the messiah; he taught his ideas peacefully, he did not believe that anyone should be forced to believe him. During the crusades, however, many Christians would kill any Muslims they found, sometimes torture and even eat them. Ironically, Mohammed was visited by the angel Gabriel, he did not claim to be anything higher than anyone else. He was involved in raiding caravans and was quite...
Words: 416 - Pages: 2
...continues because inhabitants of Israel fight amongst themselves about who is truly entitled to the Holy Land. Holy War for another religion that originated in the same area, Islam, is completely different. Holy War for Islam is more about completing a mission. Islam is a religion similar to Judaism; however Judaism began before Christianity and Islam. Judaism is one of the first modern religions that are monotheistic. Judaism, Islam and Christianity each have that characteristic in common. Jewish people believe the Torah is the chief book that should be followed for their religion. The Torah is similar to the Old Testament in the Christian bible. The Torah does not promote Jesus as the messiah as the New Testament does for Christians. On the other hand, some Jewish people actually do believe in Jesus. Many Jewish Jesus believers belong to the organization Jews for Jesus. The group Jews for Jesus believes and promotes the idea that Jesus is more than a prophet and that Jewish traditions can be observed as well. The belief in Jesus as the messiah is contradictory to what many Jews believe. Traditional Jewish belief is that Jesus was merely a prophet, like the prophets who wrote the Torah. Contemporary struggles within the religion and with the other two religions Struggles with Christianity...
Words: 512 - Pages: 3
...Alyandry vielma Islam and Christianity Many say that Islam and Christianity are similar, by making the assumption that they worship the same God. These two religions may have similar things, but it does not mean that because some beliefs might be similar that they are the same. Islam and Christianity differ in many areas like, their source of authority, the nature of God, and their essential practices. There are many areas in which they differ, but the ones mentioned are the basic structure of each religion. Since they are more different then they are similar, this would be the best way of knowing their differences. There are many things by which authority is needed. We also are subject to authority in all things. Christianity and Islam are more different then similar in the source of authority. In Christianity, the founder is Jesus, human and divine. Christianity follows the bible, which is the collection of sacred writings of the religion and includes the Old and New Testament. Under Christianity there are the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Catholics follow the pope, which differs from the Eastern Orthodox as mentioned in The Council of Constantinople “And in the Spirit, the holy, the lordly and life-giving one, proceeding forth from the father, the one who spoke through the prophets.” On the other hand the Eastern Orthodox follows Christ, and does not accept of what the Council of Constantinople states, saying in the 3rd Council of Toledo, “Directs...
Words: 1294 - Pages: 6
...Islam vs. Christianity The two largest religions in the world are Islam and Christianity. For most Americans, Islam is the religion of the Middle East; however, Islam is practiced all over the world by all races of people. The morning of September 11, 2001 was a very tragic moment for all Americans and unfortunately it caused most of us to view Islam as the religion of terrorists. As I started to prepare for this paper, Islam vs. Christianity, I wanted to focus on the religion and not the actions of some of the followers of the religion. But as I went deeper into the religious teachings, I could see how the religion itself could produce violent followers. Ahead, I will mirror some of the basic practices and principles of both religions to help us gain a better understanding of Islamic practices. Both Islam and Christianity believe in moral living and being good to others, but have different views on God and his interpretations. Both believe that there is a God; however, Christians believe in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and Muslims believe that God (Allah) is the one and only. Both believe that Jesus Christ existed, but Muslims believe that Jesus was merely a prophet who received a revelation from Allah and not the Lord and Savior that Christians proclaim him to be. The Christian holy Book, The Holy Bible, contains the Old Testament which chronicles the lives of those who lived before Jesus and is also sacred to Islam, and the New Testament which is unique to...
Words: 1349 - Pages: 6
...Christianity vs. Islam: A Religious Difference Brittnay Howell ENG 121 Professor Anna Crew Christianity vs. Islam: A Religious Difference Have you ever wondered about the differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam? Both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic, meaning they both believe in one God. In both religions God is the creator of everything and is loving and forgiving. He also has a special relationship with humans, and has made covenants with them. However, there is one major difference between the beliefs of Christians and Muslims regarding God. While Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, or three persons in one divine nature, Muslims believe that God is only one person. The trinity mentioned in the Christian religion is the belief in three God’s. The first major difference between these two religions is their founders. Muhammad is the founder of Islam. He, like all other Muslim prophets is believed by Muslims to be infallible and sinless. He was not only a religious leader, but also a political leader, which explains the common practice of integrated church and state in many Muslim countries. The founder of Christianity is Jesus. Although both Muslims and Christians recognize Jesus, their beliefs about him differ greatly. Both believe that Jesus was sinless, infallible, and born of the Virgin Mary. Both religions accept that Jesus preformed miracles, and was ascended, or raised up, to God. But while Muslims see Jesus...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...Differences & Similarities …………………………………..……... 2 Christianity’s Culture & Spirituality ……………………….……… 4 Islamic Culture & Spirituality ……………………….…………….. 7 Bibliography ……………………………………………………… 10 The two Religions On the surface, Islam and Christianity appear to have very little in common, however, as you get deeper into areas such as rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, and sacred objects, the two show strong mutual similarities, particularly in the fundamental areas. In this essay we will compare and contrast the doctrines that make up the world’s largest and most recognized religions, Christianity and Islam. Islam, a major world religion, founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. One who practices Islam is a Muslim. Muslims follow the Koran, the written revelation brought by Muhammad. The Muslim world population is estimated at more than 1 billion. Islam is the quickest growing religion. On the other hand, the Christian world population is at 2 billion people and it is considered as the bigger religious group. The central element of Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, attracted a following of people who believed him to be a new prophet. Christianity is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Central to the Christian faith is the gospel, the teaching that humans have hope...
Words: 2469 - Pages: 10
...The two Religions On the surface, Islam and Christianity appear to have very little in common, however, as you get deeper into areas such as rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, and sacred objects, the two show strong mutual similarities, particularly in the fundamental areas. In this essay we will compare and contrast the doctrines that make up the world’s largest and most recognized religions, Christianity and Islam. Islam, a major world religion, founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. One who practices Islam is a Muslim. Muslims follow the Koran, the written revelation brought by Muhammad. The Muslim world population is estimated at more than 1 billion. Islam is the quickest growing religion. On the other hand, the Christian world population is at 2 billion people and it is considered as the bigger religious group. The central element of Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, attracted a following of people who believed him to be a new prophet. Christianity is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Central to the Christian faith is the gospel, the teaching that humans have hope for salvation through the message and works of Jesus, and particularly his atoning death on the cross. Most Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity ("tri-unity"), a description of God as Father, Son...
Words: 263 - Pages: 2
...Christianity and the Islam religion are the two largest religions in the world. Although both vary in different ways, both religions do have a wide range of beliefs and practices. However some things regarding both religions have similarities. Through my investigating I found several things that were similar, but I will only list the similarities I found the most interesting and dominant. 1. The first similarity I discovered was the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible (Christianity)”Our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name” and the opening chapter in the Qur’an (Islam)”Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, the compassionate, the merciful. King of the day of reckoning”. Both opening statements go to the root of all religions professed by man. These opening statements also tell of adoration of the Lord. The whole prayer of both the Islam religion and the Christian religion are universal prayers that are standard.[1] Both of these opening prayers are short and to the point. They open with professing their adoration of the Lord. As the prayers continue both have submission of man to the Lord and then supplication. 2. Another thought on similarities between the two religions is that both are monotheistic. This means that both believe in one God/Allah. Christians believe in God and Muslims believe in Allah. Both religions agree that there is one God who created the universe and is sovereign in the lives of men.[2] They both conjure that there is no God but God and we are not...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
