Islam

1. Competing Religious Worldviews:Competing Religious Worldviews:
IslamIslam
APOL 6543APOL 6543

2. Jesus Christ: “I came to testify to the truth.”
Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?”
Context firstContext first
Why Compare religions?Why Compare religions?

3. One Point of View:
“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it.” -Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew
7:13-14)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:6)

4. God
Islam
Buddhis
m
Mysticism
Ba’hai
Another Point
of View:
Different
Paths to the
Same Goal?

5. Are All religions on the sAmeAre All religions on the sAme
pAth?pAth?
• There is some similarity between most or all religions
• But…. On the most basic level of theology, all other
religions (except Judaism?) are incommensurate with
Christianity
• If Islam is right, then Jesus Christ is just a prophet, he is
not a path to salvation

6. CompAring worldviewsCompAring worldviews
• James Sire in The Universe Next Door (1997) defines a
worldview as “a set of presuppositions which we hold about
the basic makeup of our world”
• A “Good” worldview
A) It is true (how do we determine that again?)
B) It answers satisfactorily questions we need answers
(What types of questions again?)
C) It causes believers to be better than they would
otherwise be
• Now, let’s explore our next competing world religion

7. Competing worldview #3Competing worldview #3
islAmislAm
• Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is
monotheistic
• In Islam, God is more akin to a neo-platonic idea
of God in that he is very distant and removed
from man

8. islAmiC theologiCAl itemsislAmiC theologiCAl items
• Kabira (Big sins)
– Murder, adultery, drunkenness, disobey parents, neglect
Ramadan or Friday prayers, shaving the beard, forgetting
the Koran after reading it, etc.
– Forgiveness with repentance
• Saghira (Little sins)
– Deceit, anger, lust
– Forgiveness if greater sins are avoided and good deeds are
performed
• Shirk
– Association of other gods with Allah
– No forgiveness

9. IslamIc theologIcal Issues, cont.IslamIc theologIcal Issues, cont.
• Salvation by own effort
• Charity atones for sins
• Earn grace, earn the favor of Allah, earn
salvation, earn paradise
• Salvation is earned through the efforts of those
who were pre-selected by Allah to inhabit a very
sensual paradise

10. IslamIc WorldvIeWIslamIc WorldvIeW
• God is very distant from mankind
• Is Islam, Allah determines everything, even who
will choose to follow him
• It is God’s will that people suffer
• God, in Islam, can be characterized as arbitrary
in his decisions

11. IslamIc scrIpturesIslamIc scrIptures
• The Qu’ran
– Based on ‘revelations’ from Gabriel to Mohammed
– Compiled in the 7th
century
– Contains 114 chapters (suras) arranged from longest
to shortest
– Quite repetitive
– Slightly shorter than the New Testament

12. • Early Period in Mecca. Muhammad sees himself as
following tradition of Judaism. Muslims pray toward
Jerusalem.
• Early Medina period. Mohammad begins to be
politically powerful. The idea of Jihad introduced.
• Later Medina and Meccan period. Muhammad
strongly opposed to Jews and Christianity. Islam
definitely a distinct religion.
Mohammed had 15 wives & led conquering armies

13. IslamIc vIews on chrIstIanItyIslamIc vIews on chrIstIanIty
• Muslims interpret the Trinity as…
– God, Mary, and Jesus
• Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet but was not
killed on the cross

14. engagIng wIth muslIms InengagIng wIth muslIms In
apologetIcs…apologetIcs…
• Islamic errors in the Qu’ran (responses)
• Islam’s conception of the Trinity (responses)
• Islam’s perspective on Jesus (responses)
• Is this worldview a good one?
• Class discussion