Christianity and Islam - Essay Example

Christianity and Islam Christianity and Islam are two of the world's great faiths that share many similarities and many points of departure. Given the fact the respective adherents of both faiths account for a large proportion of the population of the modern world, it is well worth examining the roots of both religions. This paper will explore the origins of both faiths from the point of view of the two founders and attempt to highlight the similarities and differences in terms of history and underlying beliefs. Christianity Christianity began as the most successful out of a number of Jewish sects of its time in around 4 B.C shortly before the death of King Herod in the area of the Levant which is the modern day region of the Middle East. It has grown into one of the dominant religions of the modern era. Evidence of the founder, teacher and Messiah of Christianity, Jesus of Nazarene can be found in Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament of the Bible. In Mark and Luke the story of Jesus' life is told . He was said to have been born in Bethlehem in an immaculate conception to the Virgin Mary who was visited in a vision by the Angel Gabriel who told her that she was to give birth to the Son of God. While the Gospels allude to the divinity of Christ they also trace back his line through his legal father Joseph, husband of Mary back into the past to Abraham. This lineal descent is a striking feature of the common ground shared by Christianity and Islam as Moslem's also trace their founder and prophet, Mohammed's origins back to Abraham. Thus there is a common point of origin of the founders of both Christianity and Islam in the writings of the faith of Jewish faith in the Old Testament. In the Gospel of Mark and Matthew the Baptism and Temptation of Christ are respectively described. John the Baptist is the man that gives Jesus his Baptism and following this Jesus spends 40 days and 40 nights in the desert, a time during which he is exposed to all manner of temptation by Satan. In the Bible Jesus' struggle with temptation during this time is recorded and forms part of the guidance that Christianity preaches in the face of temptation by so-called Evil. Upon return from his travails in the desert and having passed through his rite of passage Christ is said to have gone about forming his earthly Ministry It was during the time of his Ministry that he put together his most faithful followers whom he named the 12 Apostles. It was also during this time that Jesus spread many of his teachings through a series of sermons, encounters and philosophical dialogues with various sects. As it was described in the Gospels it was a remarkable time. He taught through sermons, like for example the famous Sermon on the Mount. He also taught through demonstration of examples of miracles such as walking on water, materialising food and drink and at a wedding party when there was none remaining. He fashioned a reputation as a champion of the disadvantaged and poor in a series of moral teachings that taught basic lessons of humanism. He engaged in dialogues with various philosophically based groups such as the Pharisees and Samaritans. During this time he is shown to have built a considerable following. While he demonstrated great charisma he did not challenge the teachings of the Jewish Prophets but rather made additions and what he saw as refinements of the old teachings. Inevitably his popularity aroused the ire of larger political forces in the area and the next stage of Jesus' life followed. Toward the end of the description of his Ministry, Jesus is shown to attract the attention of the authorities upon entry to Jerusalem for a festival of Passover when he directly challenges the money lenders of the local bazaars. The act of criticism brought Jesus' arrest by the authorities. According to the gospels one of his own Apostles, Judas Iscariot betrayed him. Jesus was charged with the crime of sedition for claiming to be the the king of the Jews, in effect challenging the authority of the Romans in the area. The Roman prefect Pontius Pilate is shown to offer a crowd the choice freeing either Jesus or another, Barrabas accused of a politically based crime. According to the story Jesus was chosen by the crowd for execution and Barrabas was freed. Jesus was then sentenced to death by crucifixion on a cross. Sentenced to die, Jesus is described in the Gospels to have died after great suffering but then the story offers proof of his divinity in his resurrection three days after his death. During the time of the Resurrection Jesus is said to have contacted many in the 40 subsequent days following his death. It was during this time that he was said to have instructed his Apostles to spread his teachings across the world and promise to return in a second coming, a time of Messianic judgement when all the the wicked and good would be judged and the end of world would come about. (Boff, 1978, p. 141) Islam Islam is the newest of the major religions of the world. Mohammed the Prophet is said in his revelation of Islam to have been praying in the foothills outside Mecca when he was visited by the Angel Gabriel, the same Angel that forewarned Mary of conception of Jesus. During this visitation Mohammed was given messages that he was to memorize and learn and record. These teachings were seen as the word of God and were recorded as the Koran. The verses were passed on after this initial visitation for over 20 years and were the complete teachings and tenets of the new religion. (Peters, 1994, p.34 ) At the time of his visitation Mohammed had been a 40 year old merchant at around 610 A.D. Like Jesus, Mohammed is said to have traced his lineal descent to the old prophet of the old Testament, Abraham. As already mentioned this clear Old Testament tradition that runs through both faiths. Indeed Islam traces a line of Prophets that includes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Mohammed is considered to be the last prophet and devout Moslems believe that teachings of the Koran are the final correction of what they believe is he interpretive ideas of the New Testament and the variations of written records of Judaism. In essence, apart for a small minority of those of Liberal Islam the general belief is that Islam is the final distillation of the word of God sent to focus previously unfocused aspects of the other Abrahamic religions. Mohammed like Jesus went through a period of establishing his faith in political world that resisted. Initially he encountered persecution in Mecca and fled to Yathrib or modern day Medina in what was known in lore as the Hijra or flight. During this time he spread his teachings among the tribal Arab groups and returned to conquer Mecca. By the time of Mohammed's death in 632 A.D all of Arabia was taken by the new faith. The two main tenets of Islam are very direct unlike the more philosophical interpretations of the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Islam believers must fulfil five main obligation. First there is the Shahadah which is two profession that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger. Secondly, there is the Salat or the five daily prayers in the direction of Mecca. Thirdly, there is Sawm which is the fasting between the hours of sunrise and sunset in the month of Ramadan. Fourth, there is Zakat or the giving of Alms to the poor, which is considered a redistribution of wealth. Fifth and finally is the Hajj or the mandatory pilgrimage that all believers must make to Mecca at least once in the lives(Peters, 1994, p.56 ) . All these requirements are in keeping with the idea that Islam is for the believer the submission to the truth of the religion. The Qu'ran is in itself a prescriptive guide to how the adherent should conduct his life. There is no sense of teaching by metaphor which is characteristic of the teachings of Christianity . In Islam the line of authority of the religion was passed down the line of descent of Mohamed's family. Very early in the history of the religion there was schism in the faith between those traced the line of authority directly to Mohammed and his words, the Sunni's who comprise the largest group of Islam, and those who transfer the line of Authority to the line of Mohammed's cousin Ali who was married to Mohamed's daughter Fatima, the Shias, who form the largest group in Iran. In Christianity where the authority of Christ's teaching were not passed down a blood line as Jesus did not have a family, but rather through the spread of the teaching by his Apostles, the Christian church did not experience a major schism until the divide between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Greek Orthodox church in... and another more major break in Protestant Reformation. Common Ground between the Faiths Moizes and Swidler consider five essential qualities that characterize the common ground between Christianity, Islam and the earliest of the Abrahamnic religions Judaism: 1. Belief about God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic religions; 2. Understanding Human Beings. The three faiths believe that human beings are the highest creatures on earth. God created us full of mystery, which means we have potential for continuous growth, both as a species and as individuals. 3. The Future. No matter how difficult the past and present may be, the three religions are hopeful about the future. Evil and suffering cannot ultimately prevail God has provided a condition (or state of being) for which our three religions have different names, but we agree on the term "Paradise. 4. Divine-Human Encounter. 5. God's Guidance. God did not leave us without guidelines for behaviour but provided us with sound basic rules to live by, as well as a rational mind to learn how and when to apply those rules to our everyday life. All three religions, for example, abhor murder, the arbitrary killing of innocent people. (Mojzes & Swidler, 2002) This framework adds to the examined similarities in this paper, specifically that the Angel Gabriel played a role in both religion; that both founders trace their descent to Abraham. Both founders experienced hardship in the way of political resistance. Both faiths stressed the importance of the spread of the ideas of the faith. But while Christianity has a metaphorical quality to its teaching, Islam is far more prescriptive. And while Jesus did not have a family to pass down his authority, his Apostles spread the word throughout the world. Mohammed's line of authority did pass down in an inherited way and perhaps because of this there was a far earlier schism in the religion than the one Christianity experienced centuries later. References Boff, L. (1978). Jesus Christ Liberator : A Critical Christology for Our Time / (Hughes, P., Trans.). Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102158411 Islam. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101251144 Esposito, J. L. (1997, January 31). Islam & Christianity Face to Face: An Old Conflict & Prospects for a New Ending. Commonweal, 124, 11+. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000422297 Mojzes, P., & Swidler, L. (2002). Common Elements of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 39(1-2), 80+. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002067726 Oakes, E. T. (2005, April). The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life 53+. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5009094713 Peters, F. E. (1994). Muhammad and the Origins of Islam /. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Retrieved June 9, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102492780 Read More