COMPARING THREE WORLD RELIGIONS WITH MIDDLE EASTERN BEGINNINGS
In William A. Young’s book entitled, The World Religions - Worldviews and Contemporary Issues (Fourth Edition), Young presents the major religions of the world using a fundamentally descriptive method that is “historical, comparative and – above all – phenomenological” (Young 14). With his basic definition of religion as “the human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy” (Young 15). Young methodically answers seven basic questions in establishing a basic framework for understanding and comparing the worldviews of the major religions.
Common Middle Eastern Heritage
This essay will limit its scope to exploring the three religions presented in Young’s book that are monotheistic …show more content…
All three religions recognize the same “one true God” of Adam, Abraham, and Moses, as written in the Old Testament. Legal scholar Paul Golomb points out “that the God of Israel is indeed the true God” (Golomb). Authors Jacob Neusner and Bruce D. Chilton state in the preface of their book entitled, “The Body of Faith, Israel and the Church”:
Christianity and Judaism, along with Islam, by their own word seek to reach the same God but each takes its own path. All three invoke the same authority Abraham and Sarah represented by the same Scripture, all three worship the one and only God, concurring that the God of which the one speaks is the same God that the others adore. At the same time, each distinguishes itself from the other two, finding important differences at specific points and maintaining that it, and not the others, accurately records what the one, unique God has said. …show more content…
Judaism, Christianity, and Muslim religions share this common view and understanding of God.
The chart below provides a concise presentation using William A. Young’s seven rubrics in presenting each religion individually with its own terminology as well as collectively as a group of middle-eastern monotheistic religions.
WORLDVIEW
OF RELIGION AS A GROUP
Middle Eastern Monotheistic Religions INDIVIDUALLY JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY ISLAM YOUNG’S 7 RUBRICS
What does it mean to be human? Center of God’s creation – spiritual being given reason & freedom to choose how to be responsible in the care of creation & special relationship with God In God’s Image One in Christ From a Single Soul What is the basic human problem? Relational - choice of alienation or transformation in choosing one’s ultimate fate Missing the Mark Separation from God Rejecting Allah’s Guidance What is the cause of the problem? Turning away from Good Towards Evil Disobedience Original Sin
In William A. Young’s book entitled, The World Religions - Worldviews and Contemporary Issues (Fourth Edition), Young presents the major religions of the world using a fundamentally descriptive method that is “historical, comparative and – above all – phenomenological” (Young 14). With his basic definition of religion as “the human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy” (Young 15). Young methodically answers seven basic questions in establishing a basic framework for understanding and comparing the worldviews of the major religions.
Common Middle Eastern Heritage
This essay will limit its scope to exploring the three religions presented in Young’s book that are monotheistic …show more content…
All three religions recognize the same “one true God” of Adam, Abraham, and Moses, as written in the Old Testament. Legal scholar Paul Golomb points out “that the God of Israel is indeed the true God” (Golomb). Authors Jacob Neusner and Bruce D. Chilton state in the preface of their book entitled, “The Body of Faith, Israel and the Church”:
Christianity and Judaism, along with Islam, by their own word seek to reach the same God but each takes its own path. All three invoke the same authority Abraham and Sarah represented by the same Scripture, all three worship the one and only God, concurring that the God of which the one speaks is the same God that the others adore. At the same time, each distinguishes itself from the other two, finding important differences at specific points and maintaining that it, and not the others, accurately records what the one, unique God has said. …show more content…
Judaism, Christianity, and Muslim religions share this common view and understanding of God.
The chart below provides a concise presentation using William A. Young’s seven rubrics in presenting each religion individually with its own terminology as well as collectively as a group of middle-eastern monotheistic religions.
WORLDVIEW
OF RELIGION AS A GROUP
Middle Eastern Monotheistic Religions INDIVIDUALLY JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY ISLAM YOUNG’S 7 RUBRICS
What does it mean to be human? Center of God’s creation – spiritual being given reason & freedom to choose how to be responsible in the care of creation & special relationship with God In God’s Image One in Christ From a Single Soul What is the basic human problem? Relational - choice of alienation or transformation in choosing one’s ultimate fate Missing the Mark Separation from God Rejecting Allah’s Guidance What is the cause of the problem? Turning away from Good Towards Evil Disobedience Original Sin