Introduction
The history of a given religion can shed more light regarding its origin and relationship with other existing faiths. Many anthropologists and scholars have over the years identified Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as the Abrahamic religions. This paper begins by presenting a detailed historical relationship for the three religions. The next part will examine the nature of God and key religious books as two crucial elements for studying these religions. The paper will go further to examine the key challenges facing members of these religions and the power of globalization is mitigating them. The conclusion will present the lessons gains from the research paper and how they will guide be to pursue my future professional goals.
Timeline Showing Historical Relationship
Islam and Christianity have become the largest monotheistic religions in the world today. Their approximate number of believers stands at around 1.9 and 2.6 billion as of 2021 (Molloy, 2020). According to Youssef (2020), Christianity is known to have originated in modern-day Israel during the first century. Believers and proponents indicate that it emerged out of the teachings and ideals of Judaism that existed during the time (Youssef, 2020). This religion has a number of attributes that form its foundation, including the resurrection of God’s son by the name Jesus Christ, his overall life and death, and subsequent teachings. Those who embrace this kind of faith believe in the Holy Trinity and rely on the Bible for religious guidelines and messages (Robinson, 2019). This holy book details God’s creation of the universe and man and how He guided him through the lives of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament. The New Testament goes further to shed more light on the message of Christ and the final judgment.
Islam is the second Abrahamic religion that is believed to have emerged 7 centuries later after Christianity in the Middle East. Adherents to this faith focus on Muhammad’s ideals and teachings. Followers are requested to surrender and submit to Allah (Molloy, 2020). In this religion, Muslims do not believe in the Holy Trinity and view Jesus Christ as the Messiah sent to guide and present God’s message to the people. Believers rely on the Quran as the primary text for pursuing their religious goals (Formichi, 2020). The founders of this religion went further to reveal that it was essential towards resolving the weaknesses associated with Christianity, including the belief in the Trinity. Following its emergence in the 7th century CE, Christians began to identify it false since it rejected these key foundations: The Holy Trinity, Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Crucifixion.
The history of Israel has played a crucial role in shaping the origins and development of Judaism. According to Molloy (2020), this monotheistic religion emerged somewhere in the 18th century in Israel. However, some believers argue that the exact beginning could be traced to the Yahwism religion that existed in ancient Judah and Israel around 500 BCE (Goodman, 2018). The followers of this faith have formulated a number of religions practices that are linked directly to the attributes of Islam and Christianity. For example, adherents are known to focus on their covenant with God and rely on several laws, practices, and positions to promote theology. The Torah is studied as the primary text guiding these believers and it is directly related to the Old Testament in the Bible.
This portrayal, therefore, reveals that these three religions are historically linked and have played a significant role towards promoting what is presently called the western civilization. Based on this analysis, it becomes quite clear that these three religions have the same geographic origins in the Middle East. They are primary shaped by the beliefs and practices outlined in what is known as the Torah for Jews, Quran, and the Old Testament in the Bible. Judaism indicates the Abraham is the founder of the faith after God emerged to him for the first time (Goodman, 2018). For Muslims, their religion was founded by Muhammad since he was the last prophet who received key messages from Allah. Christians, on the other hand, acknowledge that Jesus Christ completed numerous ministries and teachings that led to the start of the religion (Molloy, 2020). The diversion in theology is evident whereby Islam focuses on the Quran and the messages of Muhammad. Judaism follows the Torah and the descriptions passed across to Abraham. For Christians, the Bible presents God’s message through Christ and Moses, thereby allowing them to focus on the Holy Trinity.
Key Elements
The Nature of God
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam exist as the major Abrahamic religions in the world today. They all identify with the same God who created the universe. However, significant differences exist in the manner in which they worship and believe in God. First, Christians observe that God exists in three parts. These include God the Father, Jesus Christ as the son, and the presence of the Holy Spirit (Molloy, 2020). While being in such three elements, believers need to understand that He is still one. This kind of belief differs significantly among Muslims since they do not believe in the Trinity. Instead, they argue that Christianity is a wrong religion since it commits an error by diving God into three. For them Allah, or God, is one and decided to pass key messages to His prophets, including Muhammad (Firestone, 2019). This nature of God between Christianity and Islam describes the main area of debate among members of the religions. For Judaism, God exists as one and controls all things in the universe. According to Jews, people need to worship Him since He is the determiner of their fate. This kind assertion seems to match the general views Christians and Muslims hold. Despite the striking differences, all religions appear to agree that God is omnipresent, meaning that He would be found anywhere. They also argue that He is omnipotent or all-powerful (Molloy, 2020). Believers indicate that the things found in the universe are consistent and match His nature.
Holy Books
Adherents of these three religions rely on specific texts that guide them to pursue their spiritual goals. For Christians, the Bible becomes the primary book that delivers to them both the New and Old Testaments. The books inside the Bible offer a detailed analysis of God’s message and what they ought to do if they are to see His kingdom (Youssef, 2020). Islam, on the other hand, relies on the Quran for spiritual nourishment and guidance. It also presents the Abrahamic message. Believers acknowledge that the Quran caries the words of Muhammad (Formichi, 2020). Other key books Muslims read include the Torah, the Gospel, the Scrolls, and the Psalms. These texts present the messages Allah gave to Moses, Jesus, Abraham, and David respectively. Judaism, on the other hand, relies on the Tanakh, also called the Hebrew Bible, to get God’s message. This religious text is similar to the Old Testament in the Christian Bible. To make it easier for believers to read and analyze the texts, the book divides the books into different groups. These include the Torah which presents the five books and it is also called the Pentateuch (Korsah & Tsibu, 2021). The Nevi’im encompasses the books written by the prophets while the remaining ones are called Ketuvim.
Key Challenges
The first challenge that dictates or reshapes the relationship between each of these three religions is that of violence. Historically, Christians were observed to engage in violent acts that threatened individuals who adhered to other forms of worship, including Islam. In the recent past, Muslims have identified Christians as kafirs or non-believers (Korsah & Tsibu, 2021). This kind of assertion encourages them to pursue Jihad whenever they feel aggressed. The possible outcome is a strong wave of opposition between the two religions. Similarly, Judaism has been known to condemn Islam for failing to promote ideals that could be termed as religious (Robinson, 2019). This kind of observation has led to numerous unrests or strained relations between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East.
The second form of challenge is the absence of a common ground. Over the years, Christianity has established itself as the progressive religion of the West and the one that has promoted civilization. Individuals in the west have ignored Islam by viewing it as a way of worship for people of Middle East and the wider Arab nations (Formichi, 2020). This kind of notion has reduces chances for believers in the same country to live harmoniously. Similarly, Judaism has continued to reject both Islam and Christianity for promoting teachings that are false or unacceptable. Consequently, these issues have made it impossible for all the religions to find a common ground and allow believers to practice side by side.
Globalization
Fortunately, globalization has emerged as a strong force that guides people to live anywhere and pursue their social and economic goals. This term describes the nature of interdependence of populations and cultures influenced by human movement, technological advancements, and cross-border business operations. This new trend has helped improve the relationship between different religions (Molloy, 2020). For instance, people doing business in Arabian countries have begun to appreciate Islam as a peaceful religion characterized by strong ideals and values. Similarly, Muslims have realized that Christians are friendly and capable of promoting stable communities (Robinson, 2019). The global community has gone further to embrace the values of Judaism because they are more or less similar to those of other Abrahamic religions. This wave would continue to help believers of these faiths to live harmoniously and continue pursuing their spiritual goals irrespective of their geographical locations.
Conclusion
The completed discussion has shed more light on the issues related to Abrahamic religions. The insights have revealed that unique similarities exist that people should take seriously if they are to promote coexistence and harmony. They share similar messages and teachings that can take them closer to their spiritual goals. I will rely on these ideas to form my philosophy of theology while promoting positive relations among all religions. The ultimate aim should be to guide and allow more people to pursue and eventually become part of God’s kingdom.
References
Firestone, R. (2019). Muhammad, the Jews, and the composition of the Qur’an: Sacred history and counter-history. Religions, 10(1), 63-77. Web.
Formichi, C. (2020). Islam and Asia: A history. Cambridge University Press.
Goodman, M. (2018). A history of Judaism. Princeton University Press.
Korsah, L. A., & Tsibu, M. K. (2021). God in Jewish and Fante religious thought. E-Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(2), 9-19. Web.
Molloy, M. (2020). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (8th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Robinson, M. D. (2019). Christianity: A brief history. Cascade Books.
Youssef, M. (2020). Saving Christianity: The danger in undermining our faith—and what you can do about it. Tyndale House Publishers.