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13. Some Similarities and Some Differences Between Christianity and Islām

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On Understanding Islam
This chapter is in the book On Understanding Islam
13 Some Similarities and Some Differences Between Christianity and Islam This essay was my first explicitly comparative study—formally correlating (and contrasting) elements of two distinct religious outlooks, and reflecting on the comparisons. It developed systematically, and substantially extended, certain new analogies that I had informally begun to draw in passing in my Islam in Modern History two years earlier, in my endeavour then to make Islamic patterns intelligible to Christians and those familiar with Christian thinking. I commented also on certain old analogies that, although common, I felt ought not to be drawn since they are in fact misleading. This piece was of some importance for me in laying the groundwork for subsequent comparativist theory. In particular, in line with my general personalist orientation, it shifted the focus of attention from the data of any given religious 'system' to the role of those data in the lives of the persons con-cerned. Thus the question posed became, not whether or how far a given phenomenon in one religious tradition is itself similar to or different from an apparently comparable one in some other tradi-tion; but rather, whether or how far its effect on a worshipper is similar or different. Certain types of academic study, especially phenomenological, focus on religious objects or symbols, and trace variations and consistencies among recurrent instances of these around the world. Insofar as the Harvard 'school' of com-parative religion study has developed a distinctive orientation, it is perhaps by deviating from or supplementing this by attending ultimately to personal involvements or interactions with those ob-jects and symbols (and ideas, and whatever). Similar data may, on inquiry, elicit differing responses in distinctive contexts; and dif-fering data, similar responses. Recognition of this principle has 233

13 Some Similarities and Some Differences Between Christianity and Islam This essay was my first explicitly comparative study—formally correlating (and contrasting) elements of two distinct religious outlooks, and reflecting on the comparisons. It developed systematically, and substantially extended, certain new analogies that I had informally begun to draw in passing in my Islam in Modern History two years earlier, in my endeavour then to make Islamic patterns intelligible to Christians and those familiar with Christian thinking. I commented also on certain old analogies that, although common, I felt ought not to be drawn since they are in fact misleading. This piece was of some importance for me in laying the groundwork for subsequent comparativist theory. In particular, in line with my general personalist orientation, it shifted the focus of attention from the data of any given religious 'system' to the role of those data in the lives of the persons con-cerned. Thus the question posed became, not whether or how far a given phenomenon in one religious tradition is itself similar to or different from an apparently comparable one in some other tradi-tion; but rather, whether or how far its effect on a worshipper is similar or different. Certain types of academic study, especially phenomenological, focus on religious objects or symbols, and trace variations and consistencies among recurrent instances of these around the world. Insofar as the Harvard 'school' of com-parative religion study has developed a distinctive orientation, it is perhaps by deviating from or supplementing this by attending ultimately to personal involvements or interactions with those ob-jects and symbols (and ideas, and whatever). Similar data may, on inquiry, elicit differing responses in distinctive contexts; and dif-fering data, similar responses. Recognition of this principle has 233

Chapters in this book

  1. i-iv i
  2. General Editor’s Preface v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Contents xi
  5. General Introduction xiii
  6. PART ONE: General Presentations
  7. 1. Islamic History as a Concept 3
  8. 2. The Shahādah as Symbolic Representation of Muslims’ Faith 26
  9. PART TWO: Specific Presentations
  10. 3. The Historical Development in Islām of the Concept of Islām as an Historical Development 41
  11. 4. Islamic Law: Its ‘Sources’ (Uṣūl al-fiqh) and Ijtihād 78
  12. 5. Islamic Law: Sharīʿah and Sharʿ 87
  13. 6. Faith, in the Qur’ān; and its Relation to Belief 110
  14. 7. Faith, in Later Islamic History; the Meaning of Taṣdīq 135
  15. 8. Faith, in Later Islamic History; the Meaning of Arkān 162
  16. PART THREE: Islam in the Indian Context; and Muslim-Hindu Relations
  17. 9. The Crystallization of Religious Communities in Mughul India 177
  18. 10. The ʿUlamā̕ in Indian Politics 197
  19. 11: Aligarh and Religion: A Question 213
  20. 12. Religious Diversity: Muslim–Hindū Relations in India 217
  21. PART FOUR: Muslim–Christian Relations
  22. 13. Some Similarities and Some Differences Between Christianity and Islām 233
  23. 14. Muslim–Christian Interrelations Historically: An Interpretation 247
  24. 15. Muslim and Christian: Faith Convergence, Belief Divergence 265
  25. 16. Is the Qur’ān the Word of God? 282
  26. Notes 301
  27. Publications of Wilfred Cantwell Smith 335
  28. Selective Index 345
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110825800.233

Chapters in this book

  1. i-iv i
  2. General Editor’s Preface v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Contents xi
  5. General Introduction xiii
  6. PART ONE: General Presentations
  7. 1. Islamic History as a Concept 3
  8. 2. The Shahādah as Symbolic Representation of Muslims’ Faith 26
  9. PART TWO: Specific Presentations
  10. 3. The Historical Development in Islām of the Concept of Islām as an Historical Development 41
  11. 4. Islamic Law: Its ‘Sources’ (Uṣūl al-fiqh) and Ijtihād 78
  12. 5. Islamic Law: Sharīʿah and Sharʿ 87
  13. 6. Faith, in the Qur’ān; and its Relation to Belief 110
  14. 7. Faith, in Later Islamic History; the Meaning of Taṣdīq 135
  15. 8. Faith, in Later Islamic History; the Meaning of Arkān 162
  16. PART THREE: Islam in the Indian Context; and Muslim-Hindu Relations
  17. 9. The Crystallization of Religious Communities in Mughul India 177
  18. 10. The ʿUlamā̕ in Indian Politics 197
  19. 11: Aligarh and Religion: A Question 213
  20. 12. Religious Diversity: Muslim–Hindū Relations in India 217
  21. PART FOUR: Muslim–Christian Relations
  22. 13. Some Similarities and Some Differences Between Christianity and Islām 233
  23. 14. Muslim–Christian Interrelations Historically: An Interpretation 247
  24. 15. Muslim and Christian: Faith Convergence, Belief Divergence 265
  25. 16. Is the Qur’ān the Word of God? 282
  26. Notes 301
  27. Publications of Wilfred Cantwell Smith 335
  28. Selective Index 345
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