Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world. To illustrate the similarities and differences between these religions, the following chart compares the history, stats, beliefs, and practices of Christianity and Islam.
Comparison Chart: Christianity vs. Islam
Christianity | Islam | |
---|---|---|
etymology | followers of Christ (Greek christos, Messiah) | Arabic islam, "submission" (to the will of God) |
adherents called | Christians | Muslims |
date founded | c. 30 CE | 622 CE |
place founded | Southern Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan) | Arabian Peninsula |
languages | Aramaic and Greek | Arabic |
founders | Jesus, Peter, Paul | Muhammad |
expansion | within 60 years, churches in major cities in Palestine, Turkey, Greece and Rome; entire Roman Empire by end of 4th cent. | within 12 years, entire Arabian peninsula; within 100 years, Muslim world stretched from the Atlantic to China |
schisms | Catholic-Orthodox (1054); Catholic-Protestant (1500s) | Shia-Sunni (c. 650 CE) |
branches | Roman Catholic; Eastern Orthodox; Protestant | Sunni (majority), Shi'a, Sufism |
main locations | Europe, North and South America, Africa | Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia |
Christianity | Islam | |
adherents (world) | 2.2 billion | 1.6 billion |
adherents (USA) | 159 million | 3.3 million |
adherents (Canada) | 21 million | 500,000 |
adherents (UK) | 51 million | |
texts | Bible (Hebrew Bible + New Testament) | Qur'an (sacred text); Hadith (tradition) |
Hebrew Bible | canonical; called "the Old Testament" | noncanonical and corrupted but useful as a inspired text |
Apocrypha | canonical (Catholic) or useful but noncanonical (Protestant) | noncanonical |
New Testament | canonical | noncanonical and corrupted but useful as a inspired text |
creeds | Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed | Six Articles of Faith |
religious law | canon law (Catholicism) | Sharia |
Christianity | Islam | |
religious authority | Bible (all), ecumenical councils and creeds (Catholic and Orthodox), papal decrees and canon law (Catholic), continuing revelations (Pentecostal) | Qur'an, Hadith |
scripture | views vary: most believe inspired by God; some believe literal Word of God, inerrant in original languages | inspired, literal word of God; inerrant in original language |
prophets | Biblical prophets were true prophets of God | Biblical prophets were true prophets; Muhammad is the final and greatest |
god(s) | One God, who is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; angels; demons; saints | One God (Allah in Arabic); the same God revealed (imperfectly) in the Jewish and Christian Bibles |
spiritual beings | angels and demons | angels, demons, jinn |
revered humans | saints, church fathers | prophets; imams (especially in Shia Islam) |
Messiah | Jesus Christ is the Messiah awaited by the Jews | Sunni: the Madhi (Messiah) will come in the future; identity is known only to Allah; Shi'a: was born in 869, is now the Hidden Imam |
Jesus | Son of God, God incarnate, Word of God, Messiah, savior of the world | true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted |
birth of Jesus | virgin birth | virgin birth |
death of Jesus | normal death plus spiritual suffering | Jesus did not die, but ascended bodily into heaven (a disciple died in his place) |
Christianity | Islam | |
resurrection of Jesus | affirmed | rejected, because Jesus did not die; he ascended into heaven during crucifixion |
second coming of Jesus | affirmed | affirmed |
revelation | through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible | through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an |
human nature | Created good but all inherit "original sin" from Adam, causing a tendency to evil | born with equal ability to do good or evil |
salvation | correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (Protestants emphasize faith alone) | correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars |
predestination | affirmed by most denominations | affirmed |
afterlife | Resurrection of body and soul; eternal heaven or hell (most denominations); temporary purgatory (Catholicism) | eternal Paradise or eternal Hell |
view of Christianity | true religion | respected as fellow "People of the Book" but have wrong beliefs and only partial, corrupted revelation |
view of Islam | respected as a fellow monotheistic religion, but Muhammad is not seen as a true prophet | true religion |
view of Judaism | true religion but with incomplete revelation | respected as fellow "People of the Book" but have wrong beliefs and only partial, corrupted revelation |
Christianity | Islam | |
house of worship | church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall | mosque |
day of worship | Sunday | Friday |
clergy/leaders | priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon | imams |
practices | prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (Communion), church on Sundays, numerous holidays | Five Pillars: Faith, Prayer, Alms, Pilgrimage, Fasting. Mosque services on Fridays. Ablutions before prayer. No alcohol or pork. Holidays related to the pilgrimage and fast of Ramadan. |
holidays | Easter, Christmas, saints' days (some denominations) | Al-Hijra, Ramadan, 'Id Al-Fitr |
symbols | Cross, dove, anchor, fish, alpha/omega, chi rho | Star and crescent; name of Allah in Arabic; color green; mosque silhouette |