Non-Christian Symbols: Islam Versus Christianity
Matthew 28:18-20 says: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.'"
In response to this call, Christian churches send missionaries to other cultures to spread the gospel, plant churches, and disciple people in those cultures. In this process, missionaries communicate important rituals and symbols of the Christian faith as well as learn about non-Judeo-Christian religious symbols from the cultures they are evangelizing. As a result, it’s important to understand the meaning of these religious symbols when conveying the gospel message and forming discipleship relationships.
For this assignment, you will research the symbols or rituals of a non-Judeo-Christian religious organization or culture. The terms “symbol” and “ritual” may be interpreted variously; the focus should be on verbal and nonverbal choices used to convey religious meaning. As long as you cover this in principle, there is flexibility about what particular symbolic or ritualized communication pattern you choose.
Then, in 750-1000 words, compare the symbols or rituals they use with those of mainstream Christianity. How are the two sets of symbols or rituals similar? What makes them different? How could someone apply this knowledge to accurately convey the gospel, aid missionaries in teaching other cultures to obey all that Christ has commanded, and avoid theological misunderstandings that may be expressed in that cultures symbols or rituals?
In addition to your textbook, you should use two to three reputable and authoritative sources.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
Benchmark: Non-Christian Symbols: Islam versus Christianity
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Introduction
One of the key challenges for missionaries to approach the non-Christian population with the Gospel to evangelize is the inter-religion misunderstanding. At the root of theological misunderstanding is the need for more understanding of the key religious symbols and how they are interpreted. This paper compares the symbols and rituals in Islam with key symbols in Christianity. It highlights how the importance of this exchange of knowledge is essential to effectively convey the Gospel's message to the followers of Islam while engaging in inter-religious communication.
Key Symbols and Rituals in Islam
Some of the key verbal and non-verbal symbols and rituals in Islam are as follows:
Raising the Index Finger: During prayers, at one stage, Muslims raise their index finger to testify and acknowledge the oneness of God, which is verbally termed as 'Tawheed' in Islam (Qureshi, 2021). It is central to Islamic belief, implying that no other entity is worthy of worship than God (Allah).
Qurbani: It is a verbal symbol that means devoted to Allah's cause and what one holds dear to oneself, such as money, property, or even life. A ritual around this symbol is the animal's sacrifice (a cow's or sheep's) that Muslims perform on Eid-ul-Adha (an annual festival) (Renard, 2011).
The Kaaba (or Qibla): It is a cube-shaped building located in Saudi Arabia to which Muslims align their directions while praying and where they gather to perform Hajj/Umharh, forms of the largest collective worship in Islam.
Shahadat: Shahadat, in its purest sense, refers to sacrificing one's life for the cause of Allah, either in battle against enemies of Islam or for any other virtuous cause (Renard, 2011).
Comparison with Christian Symbols
One of the similarities between Islamic and Judeo-Christian symbols is the focus on sacrifice. For example, the 'cross' in Christianity refers to the same as the rituals related to 'Qurbani' in Islam. Both are seen as an offering to please God. Similarly, the verbal symbol of 'shahadat' is also in proximity to the sacrificial spirit of Jesus, who lost his life on the cross. Similarly, like the focal point represented by the Kaaba in Islam, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, situated in Jerusalem, is referred to as the holiest site in Christianity (Marchand, 2020). The Christians also offer pilgrims to this site, similar to Muslim traditions of Umrah and Hajj.
However, the Islamic symbol of Tawheed is critical of Christianity's focus on the...