Introduction to

World Religions
and Belief Systems
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF
ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS:
JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM
Most Essential Learning Competency
Compare and contrast the
uniqueness and similarities of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS
INSTRUCTION: Read each statement
carefully and fill in the blank(s) with the
correct answer.
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS

The people who follow Islam

are called ________.

MUSLIM
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS

Muslim call God as

________.

ALLAH
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS
________ is the Islamic month
which is an auspicious month of
fasting and worship in Islam.

RAMADAN
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS
________ is the Islamic sacred
book, believed to be the word of God as
dictated to Muhammad by Archangel
Gabriel and written down in Arabic.

QU’RAN
REVIEW: FILL IN THE BLANKS

Muhammad was born in the

city of ________.

MECCA
0RIGINS
JUDAISM
• Judaism is the oldest among the three Abrahamic
religions, beginning at around 3,500 B.C.E. According
to the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible, the ancient
Israelites trace the origin of their nation and their
religion as well to one family distinct from other groups
of people in Southwest Asia by virtue of belief in one
God.
0RIGINS
CHRISTIANITY
• The second oldest religion, Christianity, was formed
around 33 C.E. in an area called Palestine. Christians
trace their origins to Jesus Christ, born around 4 B.C.E.
while the area was under the Roman Empire.
0RIGINS
ISLAM
• Islam, the youngest of the Abrahamic religions, started around
622 C.E., considered as the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
• It originated from Mecca, which is found in the Arabian
Peninsula, with Muhammad, considered the last prophet or “Seal
of the Prophet.” It was in Mecca where Muhammed was born and
raised by his uncle Abu Talib, worked as an assistant to a rich
widow Khadija whom he later married, and meditated on certain
social issues such as unequal distribution of wealth, leading to a
great divide between the rich and the poor, as well as the
possession of slaves.
0RIGINS
• If we compare the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam, we can see that they share more commonalities
than differences. For one, they all developed during a
time of political turmoil and social inequalities (Egyptian
enslavement of the Jews, Roman colonization of
Christians, and the economic dominance of the Quraysh
tribe in Mecca).
MORALITY
JUDAISM
• In Judaism, morality and ethics are based on the
covenant between the Jews and God: that they are
God’s chosen people and in return they should follow
His commandments, specifically the Ten
Commandments found in the Torah.
• Although there are around 613 commandments
(mitzvoth) in the Torah, the Ten Commandments serve
as a summary of all the laws found in the Torah.
MORALITY
CHRISTIANITY
• In Christianity, murder, adultery, and
theft are also considered evil and should
be avoided if one wants to live a moral life.
Aside from the Ten Commandments,
Christianity also considers following in
Jesus Christ’s footsteps as basis of
morality.
MORALITY
ISLAM
• Islamic concept of morality and ethics
is based on having faith in one God,
which is manifested in exhibiting
righteousness and piety. A strong
relationship with God is the key to
achieving virtue and right conduct.
MORALITY
• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a lot in terms of morality
and ethics. First, emphasis on the worship of one God as the basis
of morality. Second, concern for others as a manifestation of
one’s love of God. Judaism and Christianity share the Ten
Commandments as the written code of morality, with emphasis
on the avoidance of committing murder, adultery, and theft.
• Islam emphasized the need to possess traits such as holiness and
righteousness as guidelines in becoming morally good.
• Adherence to religious laws is also important and may pave the
way for the eternal salvation or damnation of the soul, with
emphasis on the judgment day as a way of ensuring that people
obey the will of God.
TRENDING Q
For a believer of one of the Abrahamic
religions, what is your own purpose in
life?
PURPOSE
JUDAISM
• The ultimate purpose in life for the
Jews was to praise God as the
Creator of the universe and imitate
God or become God-like.
PURPOSE
CHRISTIANITY
• The purpose of life is to love and
serve God, who created the
universe purposefully so it is
basically good.
PURPOSE
ISLAM
• As with Judaism and Christianity, the
purpose of life according to Islam is to
love and serve God. The fact that Islam
means “surrender” means that a Muslim
must submit to Allah and recognize that
Mohammad is His prophet.
PURPOSE
• All three religions believe that the main purpose of
life is to worship and serve God, follow God’s will,
and show this love of God by sharing with other
people and helping the ones in need.
• Since we are all created in God’s image, our
purpose is to live according to God’s ways, and
even though we cannot imitate Him absolutely,
we need not worry for He is always willing to
forgive us of our sins.
DESTINY
JUDAISM
• Judaism believes in predetermination, which
means that it is God who decides on a
person’s basic lifespan, wealth, and
opportunities, but it is still humanity’s free
will that is the deciding factor. A person’s
duty is to overcome evil by choosing goodness
in everything he or she does.
DESTINY
CHRISTIANITY
• Christianity has a similar concept of destiny. God
wanted all of humanity to be saved, for God
created hell not for humans but for Satan and his
demons (2 Peter 2:4). Therefore, it is humanity’s
predestiny to be saved. (Predestination refers to
the belief that all events are determined in advance
by divine will or fate.)
DESTINY
ISLAM
• In Islam, predestination is more emphasized than
in Judaism and Christianity.
• The three Abrahamic religions are unanimous in
their belief that humanity was created to serve and
love God. In fact, this is the reason why Islam is
considered not only as a religion but as a way of
life, and the life of a Muslim revolves around the
worship of Allah
VIEWS ON WOMEN
JUDAISM
• Judaism, originating from a patriarchal society,
propagates an unequal view of men and women.
Because of the belief that men are superior to
women, women were excluded from the
priesthood and from numerous religious duties.
• Divorce is also allowed in Judaism, with men
easily divorcing their wives
VIEWS ON WOMEN
CHRISTIANITY
• Christianity is supposed to have a more positive regard for
women, if we are to analyze how Jesus treated women. In the
New Testament, Jesus spoke frequently to women and allowed
them to be included in his followers.
• Historical developments after the death and resurrection of Jesus,
however, changed the course of Christianity’s positive view of
women, for after the conversion of the Roman Emperor
Constantine, it was the Roman Empire that became responsible
for the formation of the Christian Church, using the Roman
political structures as its model, which were very hierarchical and
patriarchal.
VIEWS ON WOMEN
ISLAM
• In theory, Islam treats men and women equally, for it is stated in
the Quran that men and women are equal in the eyes of God and
are expected to fulfill the same duties, such as prayer, worship,
almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca.
• However, certain Islamic practices contradict the claim that Islam
has a high regard for women. Some of these practices are the
limited access to education, seclusion, strict veiling, polygyny
(polygyny refers to a partnership wherein a man has many wives.)
VIEWS ON WOMEN
• In general, women are treated as
subordinate to men in the three
Abrahamic religions; they only differ in
the levels of women subordination. It is
ironic that religions that have claimed to
liberate people from oppression but fail to
do so with their own women.
REFERENCES
• Cornelio, J., Sapitula, M., & Calano, M. J. (2019).
Introduction to world religions and belief systems. REX
Bookstore.
• Corral, V. & Balance-Kupang, G. (2017). Introduction to
world religions for senior high school. C&E Publishing,
Inc.
• Mejia, R. (2016). Introduction to world religions and belief
systems. St. Andrew Publishing House.
• Jose, M. D. & Ong, J. (2016). Introduction to world
religions and belief systems. Vibal Group.