God of Abraham: What do we do with the Abrahamic Religions?

Andrew Fouts
24 hours ago
4 min read

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism Comparison

We need to talk about Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

The latest Middle East crisis has brought with it the renewed cultural approval of outright hateful rhetoric against Muslims, and unfortunately, Christians typically are seen leading the charge. Added to this is the season's timing with Lent and the seemingly annual rise in hate-filled rhetoric against the Jewish people as well, for their part in the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. Beyond the obvious reasons of these attacks being a denial of the Imago Dei, there is another problem with Christians continuing their attacks on Islam and Judaism, one that many will be surprised to learn about.

ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS

Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all draw their heritage back to Abraham and the covenants. God promised Abraham nations and peoples and faiths to come from his line. Faiths that tied back to understanding that it was God Himself who called out Abraham, who provided for Abraham as he journeyed, and who called Him to be a salvific blessing to a fallen world. This means that these three religions, although portrayed as mortal enemies, forever at odds, actually share many common traits.

All three religions are monotheistic, meaning they only believe in one God, the God of Abraham. This is the source of both the commonalities and conflicts between the three religions. Within all three, God is given similar traits and names. God is the Creator and Sustainer. God is the Supreme One. He is the provider of comfort. He does wondrous deeds and miracles. He is defined by mercy and grace, and He refers to Himself as a Liberator of those oppressed, whether physically or spiritually.

And while there are some differences in what this means or how it applies to the world around us, it leads to similar goals among all three as well. Charity, liberation, and salvation are all major themes across all three. The methods of achieving these may be different, but the goals of honoring and serving God stay consistent.

While this common understanding of God and mission is what unites the Abrahamic religions, this is also where the differences lie.

God within Islam

Within Islam, God is simply God. A divine being of power, wisdom, purpose, and righteousness. There is no recognition of the Spirit of God, outside of recognizing that God sends spiritual messengers, such as Gabriel and the other angels. There is also no recognition of the Son. Although Jesus is referred to as a messiah and miraculous prophetic figure, he is not considered God, nor is Muhammad. The idea that a Holy God would demean Himself with human form is utterly blasphemous.

God within Judaism

Within Judaism, we see the same picture of God, but with the addition of the Spirit of God that comes onto those whom God is anointing for some type of work. The Spirit is not looked at as a separate person or part of God, but the Spirit is God’s active working in the world. The idea of the Son of God being man is also a blasphemous idea, which is why Jesus was rejected by the people.

God within Christianity

Within Christianity, we see the same picture of the Father as we see in Judaism and Islam; we see a portion of the same concept of the Spirit of God that we see in Judaism, but our understanding of Jesus is completely different, and that matters. Because within Christianity, we see Jesus as not just the messiah or a prophet, but the “Son of the Living God.” We see Jesus and the Spirit as part of God Himself. Three persons, but one Living God of Abraham.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US

Ultimately, the goal of this piece is for us to begin to understand the danger and meaning behind the words we choose to use to describe Islam and Judaism within the world today. Because when we go about this out of ignorance, culture wars, patriotism, or some other faulty theological ideology, we not only cause harm to others, but potentially mock our own faith as well.

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam do not worship the SAME God. The differences in who we worship make massive differences for salvation and mission. At the same time, Judaism and Islam do not worship a FALSE GOD. Because if their God is a false God, then so is ours. Our faith is monotheistic and draws back to the God who called Abraham out. This means that the Father is still God, even if they do not recognize the Son.

If we, as a church, are serious about being peacemakers in the world, we must be sure that we are informed and intentional in how we talk about our neighbors. Especially, when painting them as an enemy, may mean denying everything you believe in as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. It originates from the Aramaic changes seen in Daniel “Ellah” and Arab speaking Christians around the world refer to God as Allah.
The Quran speaks of salvation for some Christians and Jews who held to their faith and commitment to Allah.
The Quran’s teaching on violence is widely debated within Islam, similar to how it is with Judaism and Christianity. Much of the Islamic world views them as only referring to defensive action and not for offensive actions.
Christianity and Judaism are actually protected religious identities under the Quran. As “people of the Book,” the Quran acknowledges the shared heritages of the three faiths, and violence towards them is prohibited, unless in defense or retribution. Historically, Christians have been the ones to cause violence first, not muslims.
Islam believes in Jesus' virgin birth, miraculous ministry, and His ascension to Heaven, just not that he was crucified or died at all. Islam also believes in the second coming of Jesus and that He will defeat an antichrist figure to establish Justice on the earth.

This post was written by Andrew Fouts. The founder and main content creator for Ministry Misfits. He also serves as one of the directors and writers for KFM Broadcasting Network.

This post was edited by Joseph Dea. Joe is a writer for his own blog at https://kfmbroadcasting.wixstudio.com/buddywalkwithjesus and is one of the directors and writers for KFM Broadcasting.

This blog is being crossposted to our network blog at www.kfmbroadcasting.com/blog. If you have found this or other Misfits Resources helpful, check out the network of resources available through KFM!