Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 171:681 (Jan 2014)
Article: The Table Briefing: On The Heart Of Islam
Author: Darrell L. Bock

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BSac 171:681 (January-March 2014) p. 96

The Table Briefing:
On The Heart Of Islam

Darrell L. Bock

and
Mikel Del Rosario

Darrell L. Bock is Senior Research Professor in New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. Mikel Del Rosario is cultural engagement assistant.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum for Religion and Public Life, more than eight in ten people around the world are part of a religious group. Of these, 1.6 billion self-identify as Muslim. While Christianity is the largest faith represented worldwide, Islam remains the second.1

Like Christians, Muslims are monotheists and trace their spiritual heritage to the Jewish patriarch Abraham. Indeed, Muslims share many points of connection with the Christian worldview. Still, key differences exist between these two faiths. Before attempting to identify these differences, however, it seems best first to understand the basic teachings of Islam and the resulting worldviews of Muslims.

During their appearances on “The Table” podcast, J. Dudley Woodberry, Senior Professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Imad Shehadeh, President of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary, considered fundamental questions like “What is at the heart of the practice of Islam?” and “How do Muslims view God and the Bible?” These discussions highlight how two basic elements of Islam—the Five Pillars and the Muslim conception of God—involve key theological differences between the two largest religions in the world.

In a segment entitled “Understanding Islam in the West,” Woodberry, who served as a consultant on the Muslim world to

BSac 171:681 (January-March 2014) p. 97

President Carter, explains the Five Pillars of Islam:

Woodberry: The First Pillar would be their confession of faith, which is “There is no God but God,” or “Allah.” They chose the word “Allah” that Arab Christians used at that time and still use today. So it is a confession, the first half of which Jews, Muslims, and Christians can agree on—that there is only one God. Then the second part of it, “and Mohammad is the apostle of God,” of course, singles out Muslims distinctly.

The Second Pillar has to do with prayer. The prayer is a prayer five times a day. Its content, except for the reference to Mohammad at the beginning and at the very end, is similar to what Jews or Christians might pray as well.

Then you have almsgiving. It’s not the tithe that Jews were to give ...

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