Home Chapter 2. Three Monotheistic Religions: Structure and Patterns of Meaning
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 2. Three Monotheistic Religions: Structure and Patterns of Meaning

Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Muslims and Others
This chapter is in the book Muslims and Others
Chapter 2Three Monotheistic Religions:Structure and Patterns of Meaning1. IntroductionThe religions of ancient Israel, rabbinical Judaism, Christianity, Islam,and lately also Bahâî have been the subject of extensive textual andhistorical studies. Empirical research shows a clear coherent relationshipamong these religions, not only in their own separate histories, but alsoin their influences on each other and their interaction. Although someperiods of the histories of these religions and certain dark spots, especiallyin times of oppression, are poorly known, the broad lines of their historiesare well-known today. Judaism arose out of the religion of ancient Israeland developed its law and spiritual trends, among them its belief in acoming Messiah. Christianity arose out of the preaching and action ofJesus and the response of his disciples and others who believed in hisresurrection. Islam emerged out of the preaching and action of Muham-mad, first in Mecca with the group of his followers and later in Medinawith an established community. The Bahâî religion arose at the end of thenineteenth century around the person of Bahâ Ullâh and his preaching. Iconcentrate here on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Historical research has stressed in particular the way these religionsdifferentiated from each other in the course of history: their separateness.Yet there has been communication between the people concerned. Thecommunities have developed significant relations. Each community therebymade an explicit appeal based on what it considered to be its religionbased on revelation.Further comparative research, however, has also brought to light thepresence of certain common currents of thought and practice that can befound in these religions. This is the case even if these religions considerthemselves unique and establish barriers between themselves and otherreligions. Adherents tend to keep a distance from non-adherents. All threereligions had their particular scripture to be interpreted; two of them hadtheir own kind of religious law to be spelled out and applied. All threereligions had their particular form of piety in the form of the right attitude

Chapter 2Three Monotheistic Religions:Structure and Patterns of Meaning1. IntroductionThe religions of ancient Israel, rabbinical Judaism, Christianity, Islam,and lately also Bahâî have been the subject of extensive textual andhistorical studies. Empirical research shows a clear coherent relationshipamong these religions, not only in their own separate histories, but alsoin their influences on each other and their interaction. Although someperiods of the histories of these religions and certain dark spots, especiallyin times of oppression, are poorly known, the broad lines of their historiesare well-known today. Judaism arose out of the religion of ancient Israeland developed its law and spiritual trends, among them its belief in acoming Messiah. Christianity arose out of the preaching and action ofJesus and the response of his disciples and others who believed in hisresurrection. Islam emerged out of the preaching and action of Muham-mad, first in Mecca with the group of his followers and later in Medinawith an established community. The Bahâî religion arose at the end of thenineteenth century around the person of Bahâ Ullâh and his preaching. Iconcentrate here on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Historical research has stressed in particular the way these religionsdifferentiated from each other in the course of history: their separateness.Yet there has been communication between the people concerned. Thecommunities have developed significant relations. Each community therebymade an explicit appeal based on what it considered to be its religionbased on revelation.Further comparative research, however, has also brought to light thepresence of certain common currents of thought and practice that can befound in these religions. This is the case even if these religions considerthemselves unique and establish barriers between themselves and otherreligions. Adherents tend to keep a distance from non-adherents. All threereligions had their particular scripture to be interpreted; two of them hadtheir own kind of religious law to be spelled out and applied. All threereligions had their particular form of piety in the form of the right attitude

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Content XIII
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Section 1: Three Monotheistic Religions
  5. Chapter 1. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and their Religions 39
  6. Chapter 2. Three Monotheistic Religions: Structure and Patterns of Meaning 64
  7. Section 2: Muslim Encounters with Other Religions in History
  8. Chapter 3. The Earliest Relations of Islam with other Religions 87
  9. Chapter 4. Cases of Interreligious Dialogue under Muslim Rule 110
  10. Section 3: Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions
  11. Chapter 5. Two Shining Lights: Medieval Islam and Christianity 133
  12. Chapter 6. World Religions Seen in Islamic Light 162
  13. Chapter 7. Twentieth Century Writings about Other Religions: A Classification 199
  14. Chapter 8. Some Observations on Muslim Studies of Religions 218
  15. Section 4: Muslims and the West, Muslims in the West
  16. Chapter 9. Some Muslim Reflections on the West 241
  17. Chapter 10. Europe and its Muslim Neighbors: Glimpses of Dialogue 273
  18. Chapter 11. Muslims and Their Islam in Europe: Initiatives and Responses 308
  19. Chapter 12. Diversity and Unity of Islam in Europe: Islamic Constructs 336
  20. Chapter 13. Muslims and Others in Europe: Cultural and Intercultural Contacts 357
  21. Section 5: Muslim-Christian Relations and Minority Problems
  22. Chapter 14. Muslim Minorities: Politics and Religion in the Balkans 381
  23. Chapter 15. Muslim-Christian Minority Problems in Europe and the Middle East 404
  24. Section 6: Muslims and Others in Processes of Change
  25. Chapter 16. Issues in Muslim-Christian Relations 424
  26. Chapter 17. Between Baghdad and Birmingham: Opportunities of Minorities 452
  27. Chapter 18. Muslims and Christians: Changing Identities 479
  28. Chapter 19. Muslims and Westerners: Changing Attitudes 488
  29. Backmatter 499
Downloaded on 9.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110200959.1.64/html?srsltid=AfmBOorrM24YSWYnezAGz06jFTdihiDBi-vlkpti70rq0KMmuJ0RZ_Zq
Scroll to top button