Christianity, Islam and Jesus

Paper Summary:

This paper examines both the Christian and Islamic conceptions of who Jesus is/was. It focuses on specific areas including Islam's view of Jesus - their admiration for him and significance of names attributed to him in the Qur'an. Furthermore, the paper delineates particular areas of contention between the two faiths with respect to Jesus including views on Jesus' miracles, his nature in relation to the Trinity and his divinity, and his death.

From the Paper:

"Three of the most frequently cited names for Jesus in the Qur'an are ones used for personal identification: Isa, Son of Mary and Messiah. The name Isa is an Arabic form of the word Jesus. Scholars attribute the Hebrew background of the word to mean "God Saves." In the New Testament, Mary is commanded by an Angel to name her baby boy, Jesus (Greek Yesous) because "he shall save his people from their signs" (Mt. 1:21). Yet, the Qur'an makes no reference "to this theological meaning and Muslims are generally not aware of it." The most frequently used name for Jesus is the Qur'an is that of Son of Mary which is quite contrasted to the New Testament where this title is only used once. Muslims scholars believe that the use of this name is because Jesus' unique origin born of Mary as a virgin. The Qur'an speaks quite admirably of Mary but never mentions Joseph. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Craig, William Lane and Badawi, Jamal. Islam versus Christianity Debate: "Who Is the True Jesus", March 1st, 2003.
• Caner, Emir Fethi. More Than A Prophet. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2003.
• Dawood, N.J. The Koran London: Penguin Books Ltd., 2003.
• Goldmann, David. Why Two Faiths Collide. New York: Moody Publishers, 2004.
• Hubbard, J. The Abraham Connection. Los Angeles: Cross Cultural Publications, 1994.

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• Comparison Essay # 135899 : "Muhammad and Jesus"

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