Foolish Things
All Monotheisms Are Not Alike
Last year 138 Muslim leaders released A Common Word Between Us and You, a promising statement to the Christian world stressing common ground between the two great missionary faiths. Christians responded publicly by gathering with Muslims and Jews at Yale University this past July for dialogue, a good part of which was devoted to affirming the similarities between the great Abrahamic faiths.
Despite a strong Trinitarian statement at Yale from pastor Leith Anderson, and the realization of many of the Christian participants how wide the gulf is between Christianity and Islam on a host of issues, some evangelical leaders, including John Piper and Al Mohler, worry that in such conversations vital Christian doctrines about God can become blurred. Rick Love of Frontiers, for example, says Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Really?
Despite undeniable similarities, all monotheisms are not alike. Love notes that many Muslims who later become followers of Christ say that they worshiped the true God all along, but only with partial knowledge. Certainly God can reveal himself to Muslims however he chooses, but Islam does not lead lost sinners to God. Only Jesus does.
Yes, we should speak gently and respectfully, but if we truly love Muslims, we must tell them the truth as God has revealed it. Scholar of Islam Kenneth Cragg noted, "As long as Christ is Christ, and the church knows both itself and him, there will be a mission to Islam." I agree.
How can we engage in conversation and still stick to our theological guns? I propose employing the Apostles' Creed—a time-tested and easily digestible template of basic Christianity—to remind ourselves how much our beliefs differ from Muslims'.
• I believe in God, the Father ...
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Foolish Things
Stan Guthrie
Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today and author of Missions in the Third Millennium and All That Jesus Asks. His column, "Foolish Things," ran from 2006 to 2007.
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A Fractured and Beautiful Faith
Streaming This Weekend, May 24, 2013
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Daniel
Excellent article.
Julian
I have never seen a theology more likely to lead to conflict and chaos in the world rather than peace and understanding. Such line-drawing has led me to reject the entire notion of the Trinity as helpful. As with predestination, this dogma is held as essential by virtually no lay Christian nowadays. Many pastors are coming to the same conclusion. Please read Hans Kung's trilogy on the three great monotheistic religions or listen to the Teaching Company course on Comparative Religions by the former head of the World Council of Churches' Christian-Muslim dialogue for a much better analysis than I can give. Christ is God's word as a person and the Koran is God's word in writing. This isn't to say they are exactly the same but my, the other approach isn't much better than those wackos who want to start World War III by supporting ultra-Orthodox Jews in blowing up the Dome on the Rock.
Hakim
I read that the Muslims have misunderstood Jesus, but the reality is, Islam aside if you look at what Christian scholars, academics and denominations, themselves say about Jesus, it is a hot bed of confusion. We see the differences which exist between the disciples that followed Jesus, the succeeding first century Christians as opposed to contemporary Christianity. We see divisions of Historical Jesus and the Jesus of Faith making clear distinction between the two, both in the back drop of a Roman Occupation and influence. One can say that the most important non-biblical figure in Christianity could be Emperor Constantine and this is prior to his so-called deathbed confession. Making the standard bearers, of the definitive narrative of, who Jesus was, being defined by the very enemy who occupied his land and destroyed his temple. (Imagine Muslims countries teaching Western countries about democracy)