Lesson 11 - Christian Encounters with Islam: Doctrine & History Flashcards
What is the 1st fault line between Christianity and Islam?
1.) Doctrine of Revelation
Christianity:
– God has revealed to us both his character and will
– the Bible alone is the written word of God
– The Quran is a human book , with truth and error
Islam:
- -God has revealed only his will; God does not reveal himself in a personal sense
- Some parts of the Bible were originally given by God, but are now corrupted
- The Quran is the only infallible word of God and authoritative divine revelation for today.
What is the 2nd fault line between Christianity and Islam?
2.) Doctrine of God
Christianity:
– God is both transcendent and immanent
– God is a trinity - three persons equal in essence
– God’s justice is an expression of His character
– Arbitrary forgiveness is impossible. He can’t just will to overlook sin or declare forgiveness
Islam
- God is utterly transcendent and not immanent
- God is a pure, indivisible unity; He is emphatically not a Trinity
- God’s justice is an expression of his will.
- God can serve forgiveness and show mercy arbitrarily
What is the 3rd fault line between Christianity and Islam?
3.) Doctrine of Man
Christianity
- Humans are created in the image of God
- God relates to human primarily by way of covenants
- Our highest purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever
Islam
- Humans are not created in the image of God because God is unlike any creature
- God does not relate to humans through covenant
- Our highest purpose is to submit to the will of God without knowing God
What is the 4th fault line between Christianity and Islam?
4.) Identity and Mission of Jesus
Christianity
- Jesus is the eternal son of God who became incarnate for us and for our salvation
- Jesus suffered and died on the cross to atone for our sins and rose again from the dead
Islam
- Jesus was merely a human prophet and it is blasphemous to call him the Son of God
- Jesus was not crucified and therefore did not make atonement or rise from the dead
What is the 5th fault line between Christianity and Islam?
5.) Identity and Significance of Muhammad
Christianity
- Muhammad was not a true prophet or messenger of God (he said false things)
- Muhammad may have had some admirable qualities, but he was far from sinless
Islam
- Muhammad was a true prophet and messenger of God (the last and final)
- Muhammad was sinless and he serves as a perfect model for believers
What is the 6th fault line between Christianity and Islam?
6.) Doctrine of Sin
Christianity
-God has a holy hatred of human sin
-We sin primarily against God
-Adam’s sin brought all humans under its corruption and condemnation
-Adam’s sins brought death and suffering into the world and a curse upon the creation
-We are born in bondage to sin and unable to do good apart from divine grace
-Our sins can be dealt with only through atonement and supernatural renewal
Islam
- God is unaffected by human sin
- We sin primarily against ourselves
- Adam’s sin did not have any deep effect on us other than setting a bad example
- Adam’s sin did not affect the creation - death and suffering have always been present
- We all have natural weakness, but we are able to do both good and evil.
- Our sins can be outweighed by our good deeds or simply forgiven by God
What is the 7th fault line between Christianity and Islam?
7.) Doctrine of Salvation
Christianity
-Salvation is a gracious gift of God
-Salvation is received through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone
-Salvation requires a radical, supernatural change - regeneration.
-Good works are the gracious fruit of salvation rather than the meritorious basis for it.
-Believers can have a firm assurance of salvation.
-God relates to believers primarily as a loving, heavenly father - we are His sons
Islam
- Salvation is earned by obedience to God - and also by implication to Muhammad
- Salvation is attained through good deeds - with some allowance for divine forgiveness
- Salvation does require a radical supernatural change.
- Good works are the meritorious basis for salvation.
- Believers cannot have any assurance of salvation.
- God relates to believers primarily as a sovereign, heavenly master — we are his servants.
What lessons can we learn from post-Reformation engagement with Islam?
- started to explain the core differences
- advocated for “truth in love” approach over the debate approach
- thought deeply about how to take the gospel to different contexts
- Kuyper was very pessimistic about the success of christian missions among muslims
Why is exact wording of parallel passages in the Quran necessary for the Islamic view of the inspiration of the Quran?
If God narrated it perfectly in the 1st account why alter it in the second? The Quran contains parallel accounts of the same events that differ in detail, order, and content. These texts are similar, yet we are looking at the Quran and specifically at the belief that these are the very words of Allah without human intermediation. Why would Allah recite Lot’s words in different ways.?
According to White, what problem does the use of ancient sources in the Quran pose to the Islamic view of the inspiration of the Quran? How might a Muslim apologist respond to such an accusation?
The Quran strings together fantastic tales from ahistorical sources with references that can only be to the actual canonical stories from jesus’ own disciples. Again we would expect this of Muhammad, but Islamic orthodoxy insists this book is eternal and with no human element. Surely Allah knew the difference between historical truth about Jesus and later legendary accretions.
Example: Jesus’s Birth - Mary was driven to a tree, Jesus talks, and a stream appears. Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew has similar elements.
