How should Christians view Islam?

Question

Sun Myung Moon · Accepted Answer

Understanding how Christians should view Islam requires moving beyond traditional biases to embrace a providential perspective grounded in biblical teachings and clarified by the Divine Principle. This approach fosters peace, builds bridges, and aligns with God's universal plan for humanity. The Biblical Foundation: Diverse Views on Salvation The Bible contains passages that can lead to different conclusions about salvation, creating a tension between what are often called exclusivist and inclusivist views. The exclusivist view asserts that salvation is found solely through explicit faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Key biblical passages underpinning this view include: 1. "Jesus declared, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6). 2. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). 3. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). From this standpoint, Islam, without explicit Christocentric confession, falls outside the salvific path. Conversely, the inclusivist view acknowledges Christ's unique role but recognizes that God’s grace extends salvation to sincere individuals in other religions who respond to the light they have received, even without explicit knowledge of Jesus. A relevant scripture is: "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness..." (Romans 2:14-15). This points to a universal moral law and God's judgment based on the light afforded to each person. A pluralist view, suggesting all religions are equally valid, contradicts explicit biblical affirmations of Christ’s unique authority. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Divine Principle's Clarification: Islam as Providential The Divine Principle clarifies that Islam is a crucial providential religion in God's ongoing work of restoration. Because humanity failed to fully restore God's ideal through Jesus—due to a lack of faith that led to the crucifixion—God continued His work through various cultures and belief systems. As part of this broader providence, God established religions suitable for the cultures in each area of the globe, including Socrates in Greece, Zoroaster, and Confucius in Asia, all happening around the same "Axial Age." This sets the context for understanding God's broader providence. Islam's emergence in the 7th century served several key providential purposes: 1. Restoration of Absolute Monotheism (Tawhid): In a region prone to polytheism, Islam powerfully re-established the concept of one transcendent God (Allah), echoing the Shahada: "There is no god but God." This laid a foundational monotheistic belief essential for future spiritual development, reflecting God's original purpose for humanity to achieve happiness by living according to His purpose and becoming His partners. 2. Preservation of Messianic Expectation: Islam maintains the anticipation of key figures like the Mahdi and the Second Coming of Jesus (Isa). This parallels Christian eschatological hopes, preserving a crucial spiritual readiness for the ultimate arrival of the Messiah. This aligns with humanity's innate "spiritual sense... that we're towards some culmination" and its search for a reliable view of history to understand its end. 3. Preparation of a Cultural and Scientific Civilization: The Islamic Golden Age (roughly 8th-13th centuries) preserved ancient knowledge and fostered significant advancements in science, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy. This created a fertile ground for future human progress, preparing humanity to receive further truth. Muhammad was a pivotal prophetic figure, providentially guided, though not the Messiah. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Understanding the Deeper Meaning: Unity and Fulfillment In reality, both Christians and Muslims worship the same transcendent God. Differences arise because humanity, due to the Fall, has experienced a partial and fragmented understanding of God's truth. Theological discrepancies (like the Trinity or Christ's divinity) are largely confusions stemming from this fallen nature and the limitations of previous revelations. God's truth was revealed commensurate with humanity's capacity to receive it, establishing foundations of faith and substance, as seen through "God's re-creation" and "conditions of indemnity" to restore original nature and remove fallen nature. For this r

How should Christians view Islam?

The Biblical Foundation: Diverse Views on Salvation

Divine Principle's Clarification: Islam as Providential

Understanding the Deeper Meaning: Unity and Fulfillment

Living the Principle

Sources and further reading