Quick Look
Asks, is Christian worship of God any different if one believes in the divine Son, or not?
Description
The Qu'ranic statement that 'Allah has no son' constitutes one of the essential differences between Islam and Christianity. Is Christian worship of God any different if one believes in the divine Son, or not? Is the doctrine of the Trinity an unnecessary belief?
Frieling proposes that many Christians, faced with the straightforward monotheism of Islam, might ask themselves such questions. He starts by examining the roots of the divergence of the two spiritual streams carried by Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Isaac. He goes on to describe Muhammad's establishment of Islam with the Qu'ran as its fundamental revelation.
The heart of the book revolves around Frieling's analysis of what is meant by 'the Son'. He argues that the divine Son has an essential role not only in humankind's relationship with God, but also in our entire evolution on earth. He also argues that the unfulfilled needs of a religion which overlooked 'the Son' were critical in the emergence of the Shiah branches of Islam. In this, he feels, can be detected an unconscious seeking for Christ.
Reviews
'Rudolf Frieling's vast knowledge of the two religions and his lifelong vocation as a priest of the Christian Community help him to describe in concise and simple language the essential elements of Christianity and Islam, their many outward similarities and their profound basic differences. This reviewer has seldom seen a book which seemed as timely as Christianity and Islam. It deserves a wide readership.'
-- News from the Goetheanum
Author
Rudolf Frieling (1901-86) was one of the founders of The Christian Community. Before becoming the leader of this movement for religious renewal in 1957, his work took him to Leipzig, Vienna, New York and Stuttgart. He is the author of many books on Christian thinking.
