The Lord be with you,
The Abrahamic Religions: An Evaluation from the Theological Perspective of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, published by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) of the LC-MS, is a short document of only six pages, including end-notes. In spite of its brevity, it covers both significant points of commonality as well as some significant points of divergence between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
In Christendom today you can divide individuals, broadly speaking, in
to two groups. Group one follows one of the historical streams of Christian thought. Group two approaches the faith in what has been called “cafeteria-style.” “Cafeteria-style” Christians not only pick and choose what they like from different Christian traditions, but may also pick and choose from entirely different faith traditions.
When this document refers to what Christians believe, it is not referring to the “cafeteria-style” Christians. When it refers to a belief that is much more common in Lutheran circles, the document points that out.
In general, the report is well written and easy to read, well document, and non-inflammatory in its vocabulary. It clearly is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the belief systems of these three religions, but would be a good jumping off point. It does provide recommendations for further reading as well as links to other internet sites.
As has been my experience with all CTCR documents I’ve read, I can give this one “two thumbs up.”
You can download it by following this link: THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert