Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?

Majority World Christian (MWC), according to Tennent, is the “Two-Thirds World Church” that represents Africa, Asia, and Latin America—continents characterized by poverty and disease and used to be outside the ecclesiastical cartography.[1]  In Christian demographics, the “Two-Thirds World” could be referred to as “South” or “Global South;” and “North” refers to Christians from Europe and North America.[2]

Tennent’ claim, that Majority World Christian (MWC) is “experienced at articulating the uniqueness of the gospel in the midst of religious pluralism,” is one of five trends in the theology of Majority World Christians that he reckoned.[3]  Religious Pluralism is about theological relativism in the sense that “we all worship one God,” with common, human aspirations to the transcendent, thus moving away from the God of the Bible and the God of Islam towards Pascal’s “God of the Philosophers.”[4]  Religious pluralism has no place among monotheists who believe in and hold on to a specific God who has a name, whether Yhwh, God as Christ, or Allah.  So the issue that remains is who is the real God?  Is it Yhwh or Christ or Allah?  The God of the Bible (OT & NT) is One and the Same because they Bible is one unit in terms of theological Christological prophecy fulfillment (OT prophecy is fulfilled in NT in Christ Jesus). So the controversy is between the God of the Bible and the God of Qur’an, the God of Christianity and the God of Islam.

Tennent in dealing with the question, “Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad,” expounded on the etymological linguistic issue of the word “Allah” which means God and is used by Arab-speaking Christians and Muslims alike; on the ontological argument of the personality of God in Christianity and Islam; and on the historical uses of the word “Allah” predating Islam and Christianity, as evidenced by archaeology.[5]  After explaining all three arguments, Tennent concludes that the Father of Jesus is not the God of Muhammad.[6]   This question was never raised in the Egyptian context.

My own experience is widely based on the ontological argument, excluding the linguistic etymological and the archaeological historical, which are not an issue of concern in the Egyptian context.  Tennent’s ontological argument holds true and is still ongoing:  Allah and God are the same “Supreme Being/the Creator;” the issue resides in the predicates of God between the God of Christians and the God of Muslims.  The irreconcilable differences in the predicates of God have a detrimental effect on the predicates of Christian identity and redemptive relationship to God.  In Islam, the names of God which describe his essence and actions cannot be separated; God’s oneness is in metaphysical sense of internal essence and indivisibility of nature, which is theoretically abstract and tantamount to not being.[7]  This simple oneness in Islam strikes down on the core Christian doctrine of the Trinity, Jesus’ deity and incarnation, the Cross and redemption.  Besides, among the Islamic irreconcilable predicates of God through His ninety-nine beautiful names, “the Deceiver al-mudhil” and “the Haughty al-mutakaber” were totally rejected by Christians because God’s integrity and humility are a key to salvation (Php 2:5-11).  The focus in Islam on God’s omnipotence, might, and strength has a negative impact on God’s weakness as revealed in the cross that is the basis of salvation (Col 2:15).[8]  Consequently, it has many implications on our identity and redemptive relationship to God.  

Islam’s identity of God is linked to Muhammad’s mission and their confession of faith links faith in God to faith and obedience to Muhammad; whereas, the Christian confession of faith as in the Apostles’ Creed is related to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God who is distinctly differentiated with three hypostasis.  

Bibliography

Tennent, Timothy C.  Theology in the Context of World Christianity:  How the Global Church is influencing the Way we think about and discuss Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan, 2007.

Flemming, Dean. Contextualization in the New Testament:  Patterns for Theology and Mission. Madison, Wisconsin:  InterVarsity Press, 2005.

Belcher, Richard P.  The Messiah and the Psalms:  Preaching Christ from all the Psalms. Scotland, UK: Christian Focus Publications Ltd, 2012

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[1] Timothy C. Tennent, Theology in the Context of World Christianity:  How the Global Church is influencing the Way we think about and discuss Theology, (Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan, 2007), Preface, xix.

[2] Ibid, xx.

[3] Ibid, 15.

[4] Ibid, 47.

[5] Tennent, chp. 2, 25-49

[6] Ibid, 48.  

[7] Ibid, 40.

[8] Ibid, 41.