Chrislam — What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Both biblical Christianity and traditional Islam reject modern attempts of Chrislam. The Bible teaches there is one God and that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. 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. Islam adamantly rejects the deity and divinity of Christ. The Qur’an declares the idea that Jesus is God to be blasphemy. Belief in the deity of Christ is considered shirk (“polytheism”) to Muslims. Further, Islam denies the death of Christ on the cross. The most crucial doctrine of the Christian faith is rejected in Islam. Therefore, any attempt to blend Christianity and Islam into a single faith compromises the core truth of the Gospel.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God is one and exclusive. Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” The name Lord in this verse is YHWH in Hebrew. This is the God of the Bible, while the god of Islam is Allah. They are not the same God.
• The Old Testament repeatedly warns against worshiping other gods or blending God’s truth with false beliefs (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 45:5).
• The Israelites were repeatedly cautioned not to follow the beliefs of surrounding nations (Exodus 23:32–33; Deuteronomy 12:29–32). We are to follow God alone.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• John 14:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This directly excludes salvation through any other religious system.
• Christ alone reconciles humanity to God. Acts 4:12 affirms, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Any teaching that equates Jesus with other religious figures compromises biblical truth.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns believers not to be yoked with unbelievers, which applies to combining the truth of Christ with incompatible religious systems like Islam.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Historically, Chrislam began under a Nigerian leader named Tela Tella in the 1970s. It recognizes both the Bible and Qur'an as holy books and reads from both sources during its gatherings. Likewise, both Christian and Muslim holidays are celebrated as equal. The God of the Judeo-Christian Bible, and the Allah of the Qur’an, are considered to be exactly the same deity. Many have claimed that the interfaith movements that incorporate both Christian and Muslim teaching in the West are Chrislam, while some Eastern movements have used elements of both religions in blended movements. Some also wrongly confuse Chrislam with Christian-Islam dialogue since the website chrislam.org uses the term in this way in Lebanon. However, dialogue is a different matter than blending Christianity and Islam into one religion. Christians must be aware that the blending of Islamic worship elements with Christian worship is to be rejected. Muslims need a clear example of Christians who stand firm in their faith, present the biblical view of Jesus Christ, and live the teachings of the Bible.

UNDERSTAND

• Chrislam is a blending of Christianity and Islam.
• Islam rejects the deity of Jesus, which is the cornerstone of Christianity.
• Christianity and Islam are not compatible.

REFLECT

• In what ways might you be tempted to compromise or blend your faith with ideas that conflict with the Gospel?
• How firmly do you understand and hold the exclusive deity of Jesus Christ so you don’t compromise your faith?
• How do you live out and defend the truth of Christ’s uniqueness in your life, especially to those who hold beliefs different from yours?

ENGAGE

• Why is it important for Christians to recognize that Chrislam compromises the core truths of the Gospel?
• How can we respectfully engage with people of other faiths, especially Muslims, while remaining faithful to the exclusive claims of Jesus?
• What practical steps can we take to teach and uphold the truth that salvation comes only through Christ?