Christianity and Islam Archives

Cover image of "Global Christianity and Islam" by Wafik W. Wahba

Global Christianity and Islam, Wafik W. Wahba. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9780830851959) 2025.

Summary: A study of the history, political relations, and beliefs of the two religions and how they’ve intersected.

Christianity and Islam are global religions, counting over half the world’s populations as adherents. Muslims represent growing populations in both Europe and North America, even in many of our neighborhoods. Since the beginning of Islam, the two religions have intersected politically, economically, and in efforts to proselytize one another, Sadly, turmoil and conflict have often marked those interactions down to the present. For those who care for political peace, inter-faith harmony, and mutually beneficial commerce, mutual understanding is vital. In Global Christianity and Islam, professor Wafik W. Wahba, who has lectured on Christian-Muslim relations in twenty-five countries, offers a resource toward that understanding.

The work is broken into three parts. Firstly, Wahba considers the history development of both religions. I was struck by the markedly divergent beginnings. Christianity grew despite intense persecution in a Greco-Roman context until it became the official religion under Constantine. Islam’s early expansion came through military conquest. The Islamic caliphate emerged victorious in conflict with the Crusaders and presided over scientific advances during a zenith of learning. Wahba traces the spread of Islam from North Africa to Asia while Christianity spread throughout western Europe, Russia and eventually the Americas, as well as globally through various mission movements.

Secondly, Wahba considers the relation between politics and religion in the two faiths, In theory, Christianity separates church and state but in the successive Byzantine and European expressions of Christendom, church and state were closely entangled, as continues to be the case in some contexts. Meanwhile, the Islamic ideal would consider religion and state inseparable. Yet, Wahba traces twentieth century experiment and implementing a secular state within Islamic societies as well as the resurgence of Islamic states in which Islamic principles govern every aspect of society.

Finally, the third part focuses on religious belief. Wahba compares and contrasts the two faiths. Both affirm one God but Islam emphasizes the absolute sovereignty of God while Christianity focuses more on relational aspects of God, including relations of persons within the One. Both teach about Jesus. Here, Wahba devotes a chapter each to what Islam and Christianity teach about Jesus. Additional chapters contrast teaching about human nature and salvation, and about the ummah in Islam and the church.

I would love to know what a Muslim reader of the book thinks of this presentation. I found it fair and even-handed. More than that, Wahba is neither polemical nor proselytizing. He clarifies differences and misconceptions in a non-argumentative fashion. In addition, Wahba writes in a highly readable prose. One may read the book profitably for one’s own understanding. I could also see using the book as the basis of a respectful Muslim-Christian dialogue group. Finally, where many writers write either Islamic or Christian histories where the other features as a minor player, this book portrays both histories through the lens of their intersection.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?, Andy Bannister. London: Inter-Varsity Press (UK), 2021.

Summary: A comparative study of the worldviews of Christianity and Islam that concludes that the two do not worship the same God.

Years ago, a very thoughtful student, from a country where Christians were a minority in a largely Muslim country, asked me whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God. After all, Allah is the Arabic term for God and Islam traces its roots back to Abraham, one of the three Abrahamic faiths. And in fact, many commentators, promoting good will between the faiths, have proposed this idea. Miroslav Volf, for example, in Allah (Goodreads review) contends that he would say “yes, with different understandings of the God we worship.”

Andy Bannister first began wrestling with this question when he got involved speaking about his faith at the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park in London as he was engaged by a number of Muslim questioners. He eventually pursued a Ph.D in Qur’anic Studies. His careful analysis of the Qur’an and a comparison of the worldviews of Christianity and Islam led him to conclude “no.” He concluded that the differences were so great that the affirmative failed to do justice to either set of beliefs.

First of all, he deals with the obstacle of asserting that is arrogance to assert that one’s faith is true to the exclusion of others. He observes how we want to be reasonably certain of truth in many other areas of life, for example medical treatment, and we don’t consider it arrogant when a doctor prescribes a course of treatment. We want this. We don’t want a tolerant, inclusive doctor who says, “whatever.” The real issue is how we treat those with whom we disagree. Are we gracious and humble in stating our convictions or cocky? Arrogance is a behavior that need not be associated with a belief that something is true.

Bannister then outlines his approach, which is to consider the answers to four basic worldview questions:

Is there a god, and, if so, what is god like? He states that the God of the Bible is relational, knowable, holy, love, and has suffered. He contends that the Qur’an rejects, ignores, or overwrites each of these with a different portrayal of Allah.

Who and what are human beings? Whereas Christianity understands Christians as made in the image of God and made to enjoy relationship with God and to reflect God’s character to all creation, Islam would hold that while humans are elevated, one relates to Allah as servant to master rather than child to father.

What is wrong with the world? Christians believe that our nature is deeply affected by sin, which separates us from relationship with God and each other and the rest of creation. Islam sees us as made, not for relationship, but for obedience to Allah, but we are weak and fallible and often disobey his commands.

What is the solution? The idea of salvation is alien to Islam. Allah guides one in the right way and the obedient are rewarded with a pleasure-filled paradise, although one where Allah’s presence is not mentioned. Christians believe that our situation as alienated rebels is so desperate that self-help or even God-guided self-improvement is not adequate. We need saving or rescuing. God’s rescue plan is the sacrifice that dies in one’s places–sacrifices in the Old Testament that point to the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s once-for-all, perfect sacrifice, restoring us to a relationship with God.

He goes on to discuss Jesus, who is referenced in 90 verses in the Qur’an. He observes the unusual character of Jesus compared to other prophets that makes him something of a misfit in the Qur’an, but not in the Bible, where he is more than a prophet, revealing the character of God as God-with-us.

He concludes by describing Christianity as the most inclusive exclusive faith in the world–an open exclusivism where all who repent and believe are welcome, and only those who refuse are on the outside. He explores the nature of forgiveness–costly for the one who forgives but free to the forgiven, something that cannot be repaid, bought or earned. Bannister proposes that many of the longings for God which Muslims pursue may only be met in Christ–the longing for intimate love and compassion and forgiveness and relationship. His invitation is to come home.

Bannister combines extensive knowledge of the Qur’an, which is quoted in translation throughout with a clear analysis of fundamental differences that is not belligerent but matter of fact, and proven out in many personal interactions with Muslims. He also has a delightfully cheeky sense of humor, illustrated when he talks about playing Cluedo, known in the U.S. as Clue. He writes:

“For example, if you announce, “The killer was Miss Scarlet, using the dagger, in the conservatory’, and I disagree stating it was ‘Professor Putin, with a nerve agent, in the potting shed’, then we can immediately notice a few things. First, we cannot both be correct: our two theories disagree on every key detail and cannot both be right. Second, despite our fundamental differences, we are still both trying to answer the same basic questions; we agree about the questions–we just disagree about the answers. (And third, with theories like mine, I should probably avoid holidaying in Moscow.) (p. 35).

Throughout, we find this combination of careful, reasoned argument leavened with wit and warmth that makes this an enjoyable read. It is helpful as a resource if you’ve asked or been asked the title question, and particularly if this is in the context of friendships with those who embrace Islam. Bannister sees fundamental differences between Christianity and Islam but does so without demonizing Muslims but rather shows the utmost respect. Such an approach, I believe leads to dialogue that moves beyond the superficial to the substantive, allowing the exploration of each faith on its own terms, rather than those superimposed by the patronizing “let’s all just get along because we really are all on the same journey up the mountain.”

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.