Chrislam is an attempt to reconcile Christianity with Islam. While it
began in Nigeria in the 1980s, Chrislamic ideas have spread throughout
much of the world. The essential concept of Chrislam is that
Christianity and Islam are compatible, that one can be a Christian and a
Muslim at the same time. Chrislam is not an actual religion of its own,
but a blurring of the differences and distinctions between Christianity
and Islam.
Advocates of Chrislam point to facts such as Jesus being mentioned 25
times in the Qur’an, or Christianity and Islam having similar teachings
on morals and ethics, or the need for the two largest monotheistic
religions to unite to fight against the rise of atheism and alternative
spirituality. Chrislam is viewed by some as the solution for the ongoing
conflict between the Western world, which is predominantly Christian,
and the Middle East, which is predominantly Muslim.
While it is undeniable that there are many similarities between
Christianity and Islam (and Judaism, for that matter), Chrislam
ultimately fails because Christianity and Islam are diametrically
opposed on the most important of issues – the identity of Jesus Christ.
True Christianity declares Jesus to be God incarnate. For Christians,
the deity of Christ is a non-negotiable, for without His deity, Jesus’
death on the cross would not have been sufficient to be the atoning
sacrifice for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2).
Islam adamantly rejects the deity of Christ.
The Qur’an declares the
idea that Jesus is God to be blasphemy (5:17). Belief in the deity of
Christ is considered shirk (“filth”) to Muslims. Further, Islam denies
the death of Christ on the cross (4:157-158). The most crucial doctrine
of the Christian faith is rejected in Islam.
As a result, the two religions are absolutely not compatible, making Chrislam a concept both Christians and Muslims should reject.