ARTICLE GUIDE
At a Glance
The essay compares the distinctive prerogatives attributed to Jesus in Scripture and the Qurʾān, including virginal conception, purity, life-giving signs, and eschatological honor. It argues that shared titles coexist with substantial differences in divine identity, revelation, and salvation.
What does shared honor for Jesus reveal—and leave unresolved?
The essay compares the distinctive prerogatives attributed to Jesus in Scripture and the Qurʾān, including virginal conception, purity, life-giving signs, and eschatological honor. It argues that shared titles coexist with substantial differences in divine identity, revelation, and salvation.
Qurʾānic language about God's Word and Spirit is examined within Islamic interpretation rather than treated as hidden Nicene confession. The biblical constructive account follows the promise-plan to the incarnate Messiah and retains Israel's irrevocable calling.
Key Claims
- Shared honorific language does not erase the traditions' Christological differences.
- The essay compares moral purity and life-giving prerogatives across the texts.
- Kalimatuhū and rūḥun minhu are read within their interpretive histories.
- Inlibration and incarnation provide distinct accounts of revelation.
- The promise-plan supplies the essay's account of Christ's uniqueness and salvation.
Interpretive Context
Tanagho's pastoral synthesis opens the discussion, while historical-critical scholarship qualifies its comparisons. The essay considers the majority Islamic interpretation of divine creative command alongside debates about divine speech.
Its assessment distinguishes early discussions of interpretive tampering from later textual-corruption claims. The Qurʾānic portrayal is presented as a point of comparison, not an independent proof of the full Christian confession.
Selected Scholarship
- Bauckham, R. (2008). Jesus and the God of Israel. Eerdmans.
- Lawson, T. (2009). The crucifixion and the Qurʾan. Oneworld.
- Nickel, G. (2011). Narratives of tampering in the earliest commentaries on the Qurʾān. Brill.
- Wolfson, H. A. (1976). The philosophy of the Kalam. Harvard University Press.
- Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (2008). The promise-plan of God. Zondervan.
Scripture Connections
John 1:1, 14; Genesis 3:15; Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36; Romans 11:17–29. Qurʾānic connections: Q 4:157, 171; 19:19; 85:21–22.
Related Guides
- The Sinless Christ: Exegetical Foundations, Islamic Polemics, and the Canonical Architecture of Promise-Plan Soteriology
- The Virgin Birth in Christian–Muslim Polemics
- Jesus Christ as Rūḥun Minhu and Kalimatuhū
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