Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Samuel, Nathan (2018) Some major Christian beliefs and Muslim objections and responses to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Masters thesis, Middlesex University / London School of Theology. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25935/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. 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See also repository copyright: re-use policy: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/policies.html#copy Some major Christian beliefs and Muslim objections and responses to the person and work of Jesus Christ. By Nathan Samuel Middlesex University A Thesis submitted to Middlesex University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology Supervised at The London School of Theology March 2018. 1 Abstract: Our aim in this thesis is to set out major Christians beliefs about the person and work of Jesus Christ, such as his conception and birth, his Incarnation as God’s Word, his crucifixion as atoning death, as well as His resurrection, ascension and return.We will also examine Muslim objections and responses to these beliefs and set out a Christian case for continuing to hold them with integrity and to commend them to Muslims. Each chapter will be devoted to particular beliefs, the objections to them and to Christian responses to them. In each chapter there will be presentations of scholarly opinion on both the Muslim and the Christian sides, with an attempt to assess their respective strengths. We will begin with the virginal conception and birth of Jesus and the estimates by Muslims and Christians of these events, affirmed by both traditions. We will then go on to the doctrine of the Incarnation of Jesus as God’s living Word and as the locus of his Spirit and from there to the historicity of the Cross and its atoning value. Finally, we will consider the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his ascension into heaven and his promised return to earth for both sides and how they understand these beliefs, It is hoped that this will provide some material for further Muslim- Christian discussion, debate and dialogue on these hugely important topics for both sides where there is both much in common, as well as major differences. 2 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Matthew: the uniqueness of the birth of Jesus: ........................................................................... 10 Luke: Uniqueness of the virginal conception and birth: ............................................................... 12 The wise men: .............................................................................................................................. 13 John: ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Philippians 2:5-11: ....................................................................................................................... 16 Church Fathers: ............................................................................................................................ 17 Heresies: ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Creeds: Nicene Creed: .................................................................................................................. 20 Athanasian Creed: ....................................................................................................................... 21 The Apostles Creed: ..................................................................................................................... 22 Muslim objections to Christian beliefs: ........................................................................................ 24 The Spirit: ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Islamic views and arguments against the crucifixion: ................................................................. 54 Arguments against the crucifixion: .............................................................................................. 60 Atonement: .................................................................................................................................. 69 Islamic view of resurrection and responses: ................................................................................ 80 The Return of Jesus in Islam and Christianity: .............................................................................. 84 Conclusion:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………86 3 Introduction: Islam and Christianity have various similarities in that both faiths acknowledge belief in one God and Islam acknowledges at least some of the biblical prophets. One topic that has been a constant matter of debate between the two faiths over 1400 years of the history of Islam is the person and work of Jesus Christ. Although the Bible and Islamic traditions share similarities in their recorded accounts of Jesus, there are also issues of conflict. As we have seen throughout the 1400 years of the existence of Islam, there has been a history of dialogue and debate between Christians and Muslims concerning the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Muslim argument has always sought to refute the Christian doctrine of Christ being divine, whereas the Christian argument has sought to prove that Jesus Christ is divine and refute the Islamic idea that Jesus was nothing more than prophet. The first recorded dialogue can be traced back to the encounter Muhammad had with the Christians of Najran, after which Muhammad criticized the Christian claim that Jesus is unique because he was born without a father, because Adam was also created without a father, on the basis of 80 verses of Surah 3 which were revealed after this encounter.1 Between the 7th and the 10th centuries, the Middle Eastern Christian apologists such as John of Damascus and Timothy of Baghdad can be seen to be defending their faith against the objections raised by their Muslim opponents. Timothy of Baghdad, in his debate with the Caliph Mahdi, has defended the idea that God the Son did die, but only in his humanity.2 John of Damascus stated in his dialogue with a Muslim that if Jesus is 1 Ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad, 272. 2 Young, Patriarch, Shah and Caliph, 201. 4 God’s Word and Spirit, therefore he must be equal with God, that is, God himself as God cannot be God without his Word or his Spirit.3 Also, there have been eastern Christian apologists such as Theodore Abu Qurrah, Habib Ibn Khidma Abu Ra’ita and Amr Al Basri who engaged in dialogue with Muslims.4 In the Middle Ages, missionaries like Raymond Lull, Raymond Martin and William of Rubruck, and Ricoldus De Monte Croce engaged positively and rigorously with Islam. Another instance of such dialogue is that of the Jesuits at the Mughal court. K.G. Pfander challenged the claims of Islam in his ‘Mizan-al-Haq’ meaning ‘the balance of truth’. He was also the leading Christian participant in the great ‘Agra Debate’ in the 19th century. His Muslim opponent was the Maulvi Rahmatullah Kairanwi. Moreover, there have been Muslim converts to Christianity who eventually became Christian apologists and defended the Christian faith against Islamic objections. These include Rev Maulvi Imaduddin, Maulvi Abdul Haq and Maulvi Safdar Ali Shah from the south Asian subcontinent. 20th century theologians include Jean-Marie Gaudeul who has recorded a survey of most of the historical dialogues that have taken place between Christians and Muslims concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. Others include Mark Beaumont who is a 21st century apologist and has written a critical book about how Christians use certain methods in bringing the gospel to Muslims. The debate is still continuing even in the 21st century and some of the famous contemporary Muslim polemicists and apologists from the 20th and 21st century can include Ahmed Deedat, Yousaf