Understanding the Differences Between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism
Introduction
It is important to not that over time; parallels have been drawn between Islam, Christianity as well as Judaism. In this text, I concern myself with the historical connections and theological similarities between Islam and other religions including Christianity and Judaism. I also look at the Contemporary struggles within the Islam religion and other religions including Christianity and Judaism.
Historical connections and theological similarities between Islam and Judaism
It is important to note that there are quite a number of both historical and theological similarities between Islam and Judaism as well as between Islam and Christianity. Islam/Judaism interaction in the historical according to Liepert (2010) began in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula and in that regard, it is appropriate to mention that Judaism acts as the foundation of Islam. The similarities between the two religions mostly span between principles, guidelines as well as values which appear similar in more than one way. To begin with, in both religions, the children of Israel constitute a vital religious concept. On the theological concept, it is important to note that these two religions have the revealed scriptures as one of the shared ideas. Catherwood (2007) further noted that both Judaism and Islam share a number of fundamental concepts in religion including but not in any way limited to Divine Judgment.
Historical connections and theological similarities between Islam and Christianity
When it comes to the historical connections as well as theological similarities between Islam and Christianity, Catherwood (2007) is of the opinion that both have key theological concepts that are largely similar. For instance, both believe in only one God as well as Devine Judgment. It is also important to note that when it comes to beliefs and doctrine, both Christianity and Islam subscribe to the belief in the existence of other spiritual beings including angels and demons. Liepert (2010) is also of the opinion that when it comes to the nature of God, both Christianity and Islam believe in one substance. Though there exist some differences in regard to the nature of God with Christianity believing in the holy trinity and Islam believing in the Unity, the key uniting factor here is the belief in one substance. Theologically, there are also some similarities with regard to the second coming of Jesus where both religions affirm the same.
Contemporary struggles within the Islam religion and with Christianity and Judaism
One of the major struggles within Islam is the jihad. The primary meaning of jihad in the religious text is the resolve to follow God’s will or ‘struggle’ to live a worthwhile life. It is however important to note that over time, jihad has gained prominence from all over the world not for its usage in the religious context but as a result of its application in a wider context i.e. in the contemporary conditions. Those opposed to authoritarian regimes as well as neo-colonialism have invoked jihad to validate their resistance as well as to legitimize their actions and motivate those who are willing to subscribe to their views. When it comes to the contemporary struggles with Christianity and Judaism, it is worthwhile to note that as far as religious beliefs are concerned, one of the major contemporary struggles between Islam and the other two religions mentioned above is with regard to the identity of Jesus as well as his death. While Jesus is taken to be a true prophet of god in Islam, Judaism considers him to be a false prophet while Christianity takes him to be the true son of God.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that though there are many similarities between Islam and Judaism as well as Christianity, there also exist some differences (theological and historical). Differences and similarities exist in areas revolving around statistics and basics, origins and history as well as religious beliefs.
References
Liepert, D. (2010). Muslim, Christian, and Jew: Finding a Path to Peace Our Faiths Can
Share. Faith of Life Publishing
Catherwood, C. (2007). A God Divided: Understanding the Differences Between Islam,
Christianity, and Judaism. David C Cook
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