10.4: Social Institutions
-
- Last updated
- Save as PDF
- Erika Gutierrez, Janét Hund, Shaheen Johnson, Carlos Ramos, Lisette Rodriguez, & Joy Tsuhako
- Long Beach City College, Cerritos College, & Saddleback College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)
10.4: Social Institutions
Religious Identities of the Middle East
About 55% of the world’s population profess one of the main monotheistic faiths that are found in the Middle East (2.2 billion Christians; 1.6 billion Muslims; 14 million Jews). These faiths are referred to as “Abrahamic Religions” because they each trace their origins to the Hebrew prophet Abraham. The similarities across the Abrahamic religions and other religious groups can be attributed to shared histories, values and cultural practices. Today the Middle East is defined by conflict and antagonism, but there are many shared worldview within these religions, in addition to the differences. For instance, all of these religions consider the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to be central to their traditions and understanding of spirituality.
Religion has been a powerful social force in the region because, especially in the past, religious identity has been something closer to an ethnicity in the Middle East, defining one’s cultural identity as well as one’s spirituality. There are general cultural aspects shared by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They each:
- Were founded by a Semitic person or people;
- Refer to the same God: Yahweh in Hebrew; Jehovah in English; Allah in Arabic; Khuda in Persian.
- Use similar concepts of Justice. For example the idea that one should always consider God to be present when one is judging. Other than murder, adultery and stealing, bearing false witness was one of the most egregious crimes in the societies in which these religions originated.
Islam and Judaism have more doctrinal similarities with each other than they have with Christianity, especially in regard to their concepts of monotheism (God being without offspring or partner – this is a specific reference to Surat al-Ikhlas of the Qur’an in Islam), their legal systems and in their rigorous restrictions on daily life and practice, such as their protocols for diet. However, unlike Judaism, both Islam and Christianity are universal religions; i.e., one needn’t be born into it to participate in the religion. The following religious comparison grid provides key areas of similarity and difference amongst them.
Abrahamic Religions Comparison Chart
| Belief/Practice | Judaism | Christianity | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept of God, monotheism | One god, considered as creator and sustainer of the universe. Worship of any additional gods is discouraged by banning images of humans and animals which could potentially be idols. | One god, considered as creator and sustainer of the universe. God as cause of Mary’s immaculate conception, and “father” of Jesus. | One god, considered as creator and sustainer of the universe. God possesses no partner, no offspring. Worship of any additional gods, or idols, is strictly forbidden. Worship of any additional gods is discouraged by banning images of humans and animals which could potentially be idols. |
| Messengers of God/Prophets | Belief in prophets of God. | Belief in prophets of God. Jesus is considered the Son of God. | Belief in prophets of God. Belief that Muhammad is the last of God’s prophets. Jesus is considered a prophet. |
| Timing for weekly worship/community gathering. | This is a day of rest, Friday evening through Saturday evening is a time of required rest from normal daily work. Synagogue services on Saturday are a time designated for community. | This is a day of rest, Community worship on Sunday. It is a required day of rest from normal daily work. | Friday is the day for group prayer. Work is allowed, however. |
| Scripture | Torah (including the Ten Commandments). | Torah (including the Ten Commandments); New Testament. | Torah (including the Ten Commandments); Psalms; Gospels of the Christian Bible; Qur’an |
| Afterlife/eschatology | Judgment Day, Hereafter | Judgment Day, Hereafter, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Limbo | Judgment Day, Hereafter |
| Stories of Human Origin | Adam and Eve as the first humans; the great flood; | Adam and Eve as the first humans; the great flood; | Adam and Eve as the first humans; the great flood; |
| Alms | Tithing, or giving a portion of your wealth to those in need. | Tithing, or giving a portion of your ealth to those in need. | Alms, or Zaka, is one of the five pillars |
| Circumcision | Required for males. | Not required. | Required for males. |
| Pilgrimage | Was required, until the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. | not required. many pilgrimage sites, however. | required to Mecca. tombs and shrines that may also pilgrimage sites. |
| Ritual Use of Water | Ablutions before prayer, and traditionally before entering the Temple in Jerusalem. | Holy water is used before entering a church, to bless worshipers during mass, and to baptize. | Ablutions are required before prayer. |
| Messianic expectations | The king will one day return. | Jesus will return on Judgment day | Shi’is expect the rightly-guided Imam, or Mahdi, to return. |
| Supernatural entities | Angels | Angels, Satan/Lucifer | Angels, Jinn, Satan, or Shaytan/Iblis |
| Fasting and Dietary restrictions | Fasting for Yom Kippur. Multiple restrictions and requirements for preparation, including the way to slaughter animals. No pork. Ritual use of alcohol. | Fasting for lent. Eastern Orthodox Christianity requires a vegetarian diet for lent. Pork is allowed. Ritual use of alcohol. | Fasting for Ramadan. Multiple restrictions and requirements for preparation, including the way to slaughter animals. No pork. No alcohol. |
This page titled 10.4: Social Institutions is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erika Gutierrez, Janét Hund, Shaheen Johnson, Carlos Ramos, Lisette Rodriguez, & Joy Tsuhako ( ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI) ) .
- Was this article helpful?
Recommended articles
-
- Article type
- Section or Page
- License
- CC BY-SA
- OER program or Publisher
- ASCCC OERI Program
- Show TOC
- no
- Transcluded
- yes