Christianity & Islam - A Comparison (Introduction)

Monotheism is the belief in one God, as opposed to polytheism, which is the belief in many gods. The three major monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the latter two being the largest of the monotheistic faiths. While Judaism doesn't actively seek converts, both Christianity and Islam do.

How do Christianity and Islam compare? How do they differ? Other than the belief in one God, do they have anything in common? Though I'm not a scholar, I've studied both of these religions for a long time, so I hope to shed some light on them, while sharing some personal insights from my own search for spiritual truth.

For starters, Christianity is much more diverse than Islam. Christianity is divided into three main groups - Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Within Protestantism there are thousands of denominations. There are other groups that don't fit into any of these three categories. Each group differs in significant ways from the others. Because of that, it's hard to speak of Christianity in a way with which all Christians will agree; therefore, my descriptions will be of a general nature.

Islam is divided into two main groups - Sunni and Shia. Within Sunnism there are differences of understanding. There's also a mystical sect referred to as Sufism. These groups represent what is commonly known as "Orthodox Islam".  In addition, there are some Muslims who don't identify with any of these groups. The differences within Islam, however, are much less significant than the differences within Christianity. 

In this series of blog posts, I plan to address the Christian and Muslim beliefs about God, Scripture, Jesus Christ, sin, and salvation, to name a few. In so doing, I hope that those who avail themselves of this information will develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, these two monotheistic faiths.

And this I will do, if God permits.