Christianity and Islam hold distinct views of God derived from their respective scriptures and traditions. While a casual observer may be content to see a basic similarity in those views, a more nuanced view discerns divergent landmarks of belief that shape the way God is perceived and how faith is lived. Historically, Christians held to a conception of Christ that brought the human and divine natures together in a united person. The elaboration of a Trinitarian formula through the ecumenical councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon set the trajectory for Christian orthodox belief. Islam proffered a divergent conception of divinity which came to be known as tawhid often rendered “absolute unity. ” The first phrase of the Islamic creed declaring “No God other than Allah” enshrines the tawhid conception in the Muslim confession. No association of any created thing to God is permissible. Thus, the stage is set for a centuries-long conflict centered around Christ—for Muslims an honored prophet but for Christians, the inseparable union of created humanity and uncreated divinity. The ramifications of the two distinct views of deity radiate outward through various articles of faith including doctrines of humanity, sin, salvation and end times (anthropology, hamartiology, soteriology and eschatology). They also become manifest in the daily lives of the adherents of Islam and Christianity This course surveys the following theological landmarks in the Muslim-Christian encounter:
- God (Islamic unicity or Christian Trinity)
- Christ (exalted prophet or incarnate Savior)
- Scripture (descended text or inspired narrative)
- Prophecy
- Sin (inherent weakness or irreparable alienation)
- Salvation (guidance or vicarious atonement).
- Humanity (anthropology)
- Eschatology
The course examines the scriptural and historical development of these concepts as well as their social implications in both Islam and Christianity. Mike Kuhn. Unscheduled. Let us know your scheduling preferences.
We offer three levels of participation: (1) Non-credit ($300). Non-credit students (auditors) are given access to course materials, including lectures, but are not expected to submit written assignments and will receive no credit; (2) Certificate ($450). Students at this level who successfully fulfill all class requirements will receive credit towards an ISRME certificate; (3) Graduate Credit ($900). We offer Master’s level credit through Trinity International University.
