In looking at the world, one would not be surprised to find a great variety of people with varying beliefs and cultural traditions according to the culture’s history and geographic location. But what might strike one as odd is a great similarity across most of those people as well: a belief in God. And not just any God, but a single God who has divine knowledge and power over humanity. Yet with these commonalities, the three traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each have a unique take on what they feel is the correct belief about God. But with so many commonalities, one might think the three traditions would be closer linked than they appear. Could these three faiths all have a common source beyond simply monotheistic beliefs, but rather a common belief in the same deity? For this paper, through the lens of divine revelation, I wish to research the connection between the three monotheistic traditions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism with respect to the identity of the Supreme Being (God, Allah, YHWH) and discover if these three identities are found in the same being.
Divine Revelation within Traditions
If we are to understand the connection between the three traditions, then we must first understand the lens through which we are looking. Divine revelation is understood be to an avenue in which God reveals God’s self, whether through supernatural means or in manners more directly related to humanity. By this, God can reveal God’s self in modes which are sometimes referred to as either horizontal or vertical. In his book Claiming Abraham, Michael Lodahl closely examines the traditions of Islam and Christianity (with Judaism as a reference point) in a side-by-side analysis of their beliefs and narratives. At one point, ...
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... different styles, and allows for flexibility of faith to occur. For just as God is equally revealed in different ways to different people, so too is God equally glorified in different ways by people who worship in their own unique way.
Works Cited
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Lodahl, Michael. Claiming Abraham. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2010. Print.
Timpe, Kevin. “Introduction to Neo-classical Theism.” Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities. Ed. Jeanine Diller and Asa Kasher. New York: Springer, 2013. 197-206. Print.
Mann, Mark Grear. “Religious Pluralism.” Philosophy of Religion. Ed. Thomas Jay Oord. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2003. Print.
Wainwright, William. “Monotheism”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Sept 6, 2013. Web. Accessed 31 March, 2014.
Paley, William. “Natural Theology,” in Introduction to Philosophy. 6th edition. Perry, Bratman, and Fischer. Oxford University Press. 2013, pp. 47-51.
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one God. There are three of the most influential monotheistic religions in world history today known as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three religions share both vast similarities and differences. One significant similarity they share is the belief in one deity. The belief of one God gave many people guidance and purpose in their lives. For this reason, these three religions gained many followers and believers who had faith in God. Through faithfulness in God, many were promised eternal paradise. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the similarities and differences between the rituals, holy scripts, and salvation that these religions shared.
In a chapter of Disputed Questions, entitled "Jews, Christians, Muslims: Do We All Worship the Same God?" Hick evaluates the plausibility of the claim that all religions worship the same God and merely refer to him by different names. He notes that the difficulty with this position is that the various descriptions must be compatible. The same criticism Hick applied against that position can be applied to Hick's own hypothesis. The differences between religions are far too great for his hypothesis to be plausible.
Peterson, Michael - Hasker, Reichenbach and Basinger. Philosophy of Religion - Selected Readings, Fourth Edition. 2010. Oxford University Press, NY.
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.
Today in the world…. people worship in some form of religion, be it in monotheistic religions like Christianity, Islam or Judaism; or a polytheistic religion like Mormonism or Hinduism. Worshipping a higher power is not a new development in our world. The desire to worship a higher power or powers have been inside of man since the very beginning of mankind. With the help of Ancient literature, we can trace the various forms of monotheism and polytheism that sprung up amongst our ancient ancestors to worship the higher power they venerated.
Karkkainen Matti Veli. 2004. The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
There are only three modern religions that are monotheistic: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Donceel 52). For comparison purposes, this paper will use the concepts and ideas brought forth by the Bible and Christianity. The book of Genisis begins by assuming that there is only one true God that created the Heavens and Earth and rules over it, and that assumption is maintained throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Christians believe that God gave His only son, Jesus.
Every religion has its own goal, and their own path and believe to reach their goals, however there are also many similarities in believes. Although the followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam may see things differently, they all fundamentally hold the same values and codes. To Islam, the Prophet Mohammad’s teaching is a complete and final revelation. On the other hand, according to the bible, Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the true lord and savior will grant you the access to heaven in the afterlife. Judaism is founded by Abraham, and it is the base from which both of the other two religions sprung. Even though the three religions differ in many areas and on many aspects, they also agree on the monotheistic, the belief in ‘One True God.’ Those religions have many similarities and a number of significant differences about God, role of women, prayer, and salvation.
1) Oxford Readings in Philosophy. The Concept of God. New York: Oxford University press 1987
There are many religions today that people worship and adapt into their daily lives are their creed. Some may have a lot of gods, while some only have one god. But three of these religions are considered as the major religion practiced by most people in the world today. Although different in some senses in terms of history and other teachings, they all have things in common that most of their followers do not seem to realize. The similarities are very important to understand each religion better and be able to determine which parts they vary. In this paper, I like to discuss the similarities found in the three major monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: theological themes in comparative perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Print.
At the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although are two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam. Throughout the course of this essay, I will compare the many facets that show the alikeness between these two growing religions.
Lutzer, Erwin. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.