Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?
Divinity-school dean George clarifies the two religions' conceptualizations of God. For Islam, God is nonhuman and transcendent, whereas Christianity conceives of God relationally, which is why the doctrine of the Trinity, encompassing physical and spiritual relationship, is fundamental to Christianity. For Islam, obedience to God is needed to obtain love, forgiveness, and mercy, and sin is a matter of personal ignorance or forgetfulness of the duties of obedience. Christianity regards sin as personally intrinsic and inalienable, and it is the grace of God's relationship that guarantees love and promises mercy and forgiveness. The Christian response to even terroristic Islam is to preach and pray that all souls may be brought to Christ.Ray OlsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved