Do Christians and Muslims Believe in the Same God?
One of the hottest topics in religious conversations has been the relationship between the God of the Muslims and the God of the Christians. Are they the same God? Are we discussing two different Gods or describing one God in two different ways?
I was able to listen to the recent conversation between Joseph Cumming and Nabeel Qureshi on the Unbelievable? podcast.
I have often been frustrated with such conversations. For some Christians, their intense dislike for Muslims is the foundation for their opinions. That is not very helpful on any level. This is a topic that deserves to be looked at carefully and with respect.
There were a number of things that Nabeel shared in his talk with Joseph Cummings that I appreciated. One thing was that disagreements on this issue should not lead to the label of heretic. The heretic label is thrown around too easily these days. I also appreciated his distinction between what God is and who God is.
Both speakers did a great job of presenting their views and I appreciated the discussion. It is worth listening to.
Did you come to a conclusion, Stephen, on the issue of equality of Gods?
I am sympathetic with both sides. I think there is some wisdom in the division between the who and the what. I would suggest that in some cases Muslims and Christians do believe in the same God, even if the Qur’an and the New Testament describe different Gods.
I have appreciated Miroslav Volf’s work on this topic in “Allah: A Christian Response.”
https://www.amazon.com/Allah-Christian-Response-Miroslav-Volf/dp/0061927082/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PNGZQWSSKAUI&keywords=allah+a+christian+response&qid=1581430838&sprefix=allah+a+chr%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1
TLDR; Volf says that from a Christian perspective he believes that it ought to be as sensible to say that Christians believe in the same God as the Muslims as it is to say that Christians believe in the same God as the Jewish community. Though, he acknowledges, that this can only be said from the Christian perspective. Muslims and Jewish worshipers would both likely deny the supposition.
I read that book and really appreciated his insight. Volf is a theologian that I greatly respect.