Diakon Christian Azarias

Do Muslims and Christian’s worship the same God?

A recent wave of discussion has emerged on various online platforms between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics regarding whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God. This is because some Roman Catholic apologists have made attempts to defend what the Second Vatican Council taught:

“But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind.” – Lumen Gentium Chapter 2:16.

To contribute to this discussion, I would like to share the perspective of a medieval Coptic Orthodox Church’s father on this subject, and then compare it to that of earlier fathers, as well as scripture itself, to see if they have aligning view points.

To Bear Suffering Patiently

The world teaches that it is necessary to live a life of comfort; one free of struggle, hardship, and misfortune. It considers one that is free of these as having a ‘successful’ life, because suffering is viewed by it as being something completely alien to goodness. Because tribulations come in many different forms – be it poverty, hunger, famine, war, sickness, or death; those with a carnal mind either conclude that there must therefore be no God. Others suggest that if one does exist, that He is either too far from us or unconcerned with our condition, and therefore unloving.

On the contrary, Christianity views suffering with great joy and a sign of God’s love for us. When we suffer, especially for His sake, it is pleasing to Him, not because He is a monster who delights in torturing or punishing us for sin, but because through it we become partakers of His own suffering.

The Early Church Fathers: Were they Miaphysite?

A common misconception about the Oriental Orthodox Church is that it’s Christology is ‘Monophysite’, meaning, that She followers the erroneous teachings of Eutyches of Constantinople that Jesus’ humanity had disappeared into His Divinity.

On the contrary, the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is Fully God and Fully Man; but One Concrete and Composite Nature from Two. This form of Christology is known as ‘Miaphysitism’, which has its basis in the teachings of the Early Church Fathers.

Below is an explanation of our Church’s Christology is more detail by His Holiness Pope Shenouda the Third, followed by a Florilegium on this dogmatic teaching.