Similarities and Differences between Christianity and Islam

Christianity and Islam: A Clash of Civilizations
Ever since the beginning of the 7th century CE, the relationship between Christianity and Islam has been characterized by wariness and suspicions, feelings that became especially pronounced following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States. Today, the billions of Christian and Muslim adherents have squared off in their respective ideological corners and scarcely a day goes by without the headlines trumpeting yet another religiously inspired terrorist attack somewhere in the world. The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation concerning the relationship between Christianity and Islam to identify their geographical and historical timelines as represented in their sacred texts followed by an analysis of the similarities and differences between the two religions with a specific focus on pilgrimage narratives. Finally, a summary of the research and key findings concerning Christianity and Islam are presented in the conclusion.
Review and Analysis
The historical relationship between Christianity and Islam has been highly varied depending on the time and place, with believers in both religions living peacefully together in some settings but warring against each other outright in others. By the time Islam was established, Christianity had already been a world religion for nearly seven centuries, and the adherents of the new upstart religion had the work cut out for them. One of the basic tenets of Islam, like Christianity, is prostelyzation and it is little wonder that these two religions have been the source of an enormous amount of conflict ever since. The followers of Mohammed felt compelled to spread his gospel just like the Apostles of Christ, and this compulsion inevitably manifested itself in terms of geographic expansion.
The fundamental differences in these religions are balanced somewhat by their shared monotheistic views, with both Islam and Christianity drawing on Abraham as one of the most significant religious leaders who have inspired their dogma. Likewise, the belief systems as exemplified in their sacred text means that both Christianity and Islam do not brook any dissention or acceptance of other religious views. In this regard, Sudworth (2018) emphasizes that, “Each fundamentalism relies on literal and dogmatic interpretations of sacred texts and absolutist political systems that express the closed ethical system of the respective religious tradition” (p. 408).
Unlike Christianity, though, Islam did not enjoy the support of a Roman emperor but Muslims took matters into their own hands and expanded the reaches of their religion through trade routes and missionary expeditions that ultimate resulted in much of Africa and the Middle East being converted to their faith. Indeed, by the early 8th century, Islamic forces had invaded Europe and conquered much of Spain, where they firmly remained for nearly 800 years (Boase, 2013). Not surprisingly, the legacy of the costly and bloody Crusades and the Reconquista of Moorish Spain is one of mutual suspicion and distrust. In this regard, Smith (2015) points out that, “Muslim expansion into Christian territories and Christian imperialism in Muslims lands have fostered fear and ill-will on both sides. Repercussions from the Crusades continue to resound in the contemporary rhetoric employed by defenders of both faiths” (p. 37).
One area both religions share besides their belief in the God of Abraham is the need to perform pilgrimages as a demonstration of faith. On the one hand, this requirement is not specifically codified in Christian sacred texts, but believers have a wide array of pilgrimage sites that serve this purpose, including Jerusalem (also shared as a holy site by Islam), Vatican City, and St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai (Erickson, 2017). On the other hand, the requirement to perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (and Medina if possible) by all Muslims who are physically capable of doing so at least once in their lives is stipulated by the Prophet Mohammed in 630 CE (Fischbach, 1998). Muslims who successfully complete the pilgrimage to Mecca (and Media if possible) are widely lauded among their peers and are designated by the honorific title, “haji.” By very sharp contrast, Christians who complete any of the recognized pilgrimages are simply known as “Christians.”
While adherents of both religions have managed to live peacefully together in some circumstances, these seemingly insignificant differences in religious beliefs, however, have historically translated into violent clashes between Christians and Muslims. These differences have resulted in the radicalization of some members of both faiths, and some observers suggest a parallel between the conflicts that are taking place today and the Crusades that sought to recover the Holy Land during the 11th through 13th century. As Johnson (2007) concludes, “The relationship between Islam and the West is profoundly, multifariously, inescapably asymmetrical” (p. 8). In sum, this asymmetry applies to the manner in which sacred texts are interpreted as well as how believers of both religions should act in response.
Conclusion
The research showed that Western civilization did not end with the birth of the Prophet Mohammed in the late 6th century, but it has not been the same ever since. Together with Judaism and Christianity, Islam is one of the world’s major monotheistic religions that share a common deity and founders, but this is where the similarities end. From a modern perspective, the age-old differences between Islam and Christianity have resulted in a continuation of the same strategies that have been used for centuries in an effort to force nonbelievers to accept what adherents are convinced is the true faith.

References
Boase, R. (2013, October 1). We are all Moors: Ending centuries of crusades against Muslims and other minorities. Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, 90(7), 869-871.
Erickson, L. (2017). Six top Christian pilgrimages: Rediscovering an ancient practice. Light Workers. Retrieved from https://www.lightworkers.com/6-top-christian-pilgrimages/.
Fischbach, M. R. (1998, Winter). Pre-20th century- Pilgrims and sultans: The Haji under the Ottomans, 1517-1683. The Middle East Journal, 52(1), 136-140.
Johnson, D. (2007, January). Islam, western civilization & the nation state. New Criterion, 25(5), 7-11.
Smith, J. (2015, April). Muslim-Christian relation: Historical and contemporary realities. Oxford Divinity School Retrieved from http://religion.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/ 9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-11.
Sudworth, R. J. (2018, Spring). Competing fundamentalisms: Violent extremism in Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Anglican Theological Review, 100(2), 407-411.