Christianity and Islam

Christianity And Islam

There is a historical and traditional connection between Christianity and Islam. The two faiths share a common origin in the Middle East. Muslims consider Christians as the People of the Book. From a Muslim standpoint, belief in the Injil (the original Gospel of Jesus) is an important part of Islamic theology, although Muslims view the current Gospels as corrupted. The bond extends even further with the Islamic Prophet Muhammad instructing Muslims to defend the Christian faith from aggressors in certain circumstances after treaties of peace have been signed, such as in the document called the Achtiname of Muhammad.

Furthermore, Islam and Christianity share at their core, the twin "golden" commandments of the paramount importance of loving God and loving one's neighbor, although the interpretations of these statements differ greatly between the two traditions, and, indeed, vary between all three Abrahamic religions.

Despite the similarities between the two faiths there are some major theological differences. Islam denies that God can be divided into a Holy Trinity. Muslims consider this division of God's Oneness to be a grave sin (Shirk). This difference, though, signifies a fundamental misunderstanding between the faiths. Christians also consider it heretical to deny the oneness, or unity, of God. Their articulation of the Trinity holds in tension the paradox of both the unity and Trinitarian diversity of God as one God who is three Persons. Islam also denies that God has a son. Muslims see Jesus as the last prophet sent to the Children of Israel like Elijah. Islam fully accepts Jesus as the Messiah.