History & Stats | Christianity | Islam |
| date founded | c. 30 AD | 622 CE |
| place founded | Palestine | Arabian Peninsula |
| founders & early leaders | Jesus, Peter, Paul | Muhammad |
| original languages | Aramaic and Greek | Arabic |
| major location today | Europe, North and South America | Middle East, Southeast Asia |
| adherents worldwide today | 2 billion | 1.3 billion |
| adherents in USA | 159 million | 1.1 million |
| adherents in Canada | 21 million | 500,000 |
| adherents in UK | 51 million | 1.6 million |
| current size rank | largest in the world | second largest in the world |
| major branches | Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant | Sunni, Shiite |
Religious Authority | Christianity | Islam |
| sacred text | Bible = Old Testament (Jewish Bible) + New Testament | Qur'an (Koran) |
| inspiration of sacred text | views vary: literal Word of God, inspired human accounts, or of human origin only | literal Word of God |
| status of biblical prophets | true prophets | true prophets |
| status of Jewish Bible | canonical | noncanonical but useful as a (corrupted) inspired text |
| status of Jewish Apocrypha | canonical (Catholic); useful but noncanonical (Protestant) | noncanonical |
| status of New Testament | canonical | noncanonical but useful as a (corrupted) inspired text |
| summaries of doctrine | Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed | Six Articles of Faith |
| religious law | canon law (Catholics) | Sharia |
| other written authority | church fathers, church councils, ecumenical creeds (all branches); papal decrees, canon law (Catholics) | Hadith |
Beliefs & Doctrine | Christianity | Islam |
| ultimate reality | one creator God | one creator God |
| nature of God | Trinity - one substance, three persons | unity - one substance, one person |
| other spiritual beings | angels and demons | angels, demons, jinn |
| revered humans | saints, church fathers | prophets, imams (especially in Shia Islam) |
| identity of Jesus | Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world | true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted |
| birth of Jesus | virgin birth | virgin birth |
| death of Jesus | death by crucifixion | did not die, but ascended bodily into heaven (a disciple died in his place) |
| resurrection of Jesus | affirmed | denied, since he did not die |
| second coming of Jesus | affirmed | affirmed |
| mode of divine revelation | through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible | through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an |
| human nature | "original sin" inherited from Adam - tendency towards evil | equal ability to do good or evil |
| means of salvation | correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone) | correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars |
| God's role in salvation | predestination, various forms of grace | predestination |
| good afterlife | eternal heaven | eternal paradise |
| bad afterlife | eternal hell, temporary purgatory (Catholicism) | eternal hell |
| view of the other religion | Islam is respected as a fellow monotheistic religion, but Muhammad is not seen as a true prophet | Christians are respected as "People of the Book," but they have mistaken beliefs and only partial revelation |
Rituals & Practices | Christianity | Islam |
| house of worship | church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall | mosque |
| day of worship | Sunday | Friday |
| religious leaders | priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon | imams |
| major sacred rituals | baptism, communion (Eucharist) | Five Pillars: prayer, pilgrimage, charity, fasting, confession of faith |
| head covered during prayer? | generally no | yes |
| central religious holy days | Lent, Holy Week, Easter | Eid-al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, month of Ramadan |
| other holidays | Christmas, saints days | Mawlid, Ashura |
| major symbols | cross, crucifix, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho, halo | crescent, name of Allah in Arabic |
Comparison Chart: Christianity vs. Islam - ReligionFacts
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