Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Comparative Study

Introduction

The three major world religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions exert enormous influence around the world. They are hundreds — and even thousands — of years old, and share meaningful similarities in terms of morals, values, and beliefs about the goodness of God. However, they also contrast sharply when it comes to specific doctrines. This paper examines the historical timeline of these three religions, their theological divisions, how they diverge on two key points — the nature of Jesus and their holy books — and the challenges they face in maintaining peaceful relations with one another in a globalized world.

Historical Timeline of the Three Religions

Judaism appears first on the historical timeline, emerging around 2000 BC. Abraham is considered a founder of Judaism, as he is cited as the Father of the Hebrews (Brenner, 1952). Moses is also viewed as a foundational figure, because he led the Jews out of captivity in Egypt around 1300 BC. Judaism has many important "fathers" and leaders, including David, who restored the Ark of the Covenant to Israel, and the many rabbis who taught the Talmud — the laws and beliefs of the Jews — after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and the Jewish people were scattered. Jews reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah, which is why there has historically been tension between Jews and Christians, with Jews viewing Christianity — and Islam — as false imitations of Judaism (Lasker, 1990). Jewish teaching holds that salvation requires adherence to the traditions of the Mosaic Law.

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ around 30 AD. He established a Church in Jerusalem and gave up His life on the cross for the purpose of redeeming mankind. The geographical intersection of Judaism and Christianity is significant: Jesus lived and died in the same region where the patriarchs of Judaism, including Abraham and David, had manifested their faith in God (Biddle, Cooper, & Robson, 1992). Jesus claimed to be true God, which upset those Jews who refused to believe that He was the promised Messiah (Brown, 1965). After Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were instrumental in spreading the Gospels, and the convert Paul — a Jewish Roman — helped preach Christianity and spread belief in Christ. Apostles traveled as far as India (St. Thomas) to spread the faith. Peter, as the first pope, oversaw the organization of the Christian Church. Christianity teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Islam was founded by Mohammed around 600 AD in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, and was influenced to some degree by Judaism, Christianity, and other religions (Pregill, 2007). Jerusalem holds particular importance in Islam because it is believed to be the place from which Mohammed was taken up into Heaven. Thus, all three religions regard Jerusalem as a sacred city (Limor, 2007). Islam, like Judaism, does not view Christ as God, but it also has its own holy book, which differs significantly from the Torah and Talmud of modern Judaism. Mohammed claimed to have received the holy book of Islam — the Quran — directly from God. Muslims believe that salvation requires following the Quran.

The Nature of Jesus

The nature of Jesus is disputed among the three religions. Jews claim He was a liar — not God, but a purely human figure, and a reprehensible one at that. Christians believe Jesus is true God and true Man, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Muslims view Jesus as a prophet, comparable to Abraham, but without a divine connection and of far lesser significance than Mohammed. Jews are said to have brought about Christ's death because they rejected His claims of divinity and viewed Him as blasphemous, particularly after He challenged their practice of conducting financial dealings in the Temple, as described in the New Testament. Jews argue that Christians stole Christ's body from the tomb and falsely claimed He rose from the dead. Christians reject this view and hold that Christ rose by His own power, and that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. In Islam, the nature of Christ carries little theological weight, since Muslims came much later and had no role in His death. They conclude that He was a minor prophet — nothing more than a man.

Conclusion

The three major world religions differ considerably in their specific doctrines. In general, however, they share meaningful common ground in their understanding of the nature of God. It is on the question of Jesus Christ that they diverge most sharply. All three regard Jerusalem as sacred, but perhaps the most important task ahead is for adherents of each tradition to be forthright about their differences — engaging honestly rather than allowing misunderstanding and resentment to persist.

References

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