Introduction
Religion is an essential spectrum among individuals, influencing the morally inclined personality growth and development. Primarily, religiosity entails the reconstitution of critical variables, mainly sociocultural virtues and approaches to individualism. Despite the distinctive benefits of religiosity to a person’s spirituality, diversity presents optimal challenges based on the justification of superiority and inferiority aspects.
The two major groups involved in the religious war include Islam and Christianity. The prevailing conflicts regionally and internationally dynamically influenced the foundational outliers on political, economic, cultural, and sociological constructs. The divergent religious wars significantly influenced the economic instabilities and alterations within the social and political landscapes based on Islamic and Christian orientations for religious identities.
Christianity
Origin
The origin of Christianity involved a sect among the Jewish established in the first century. The Judea believers preached and spread the gospel, leading to the widespread awareness and adoption by the massive Roman Empire in AD (McKittrick, 1995). Due to the distinctive practice among the Romans, Christianity emerged as the dominant religious group within the region. Over the decades, different Christian-based religious leaders deconstructed the principles to form sub-categories of the main Christian churches, such as the Pentecostal and the Anglican Church (Van Buren III et al., 2020). The dynamic Christian religious sects uphold distinctive approaches to the belief system based on modern-day trends.
Beliefs
Christians uphold divergent belief systems despite the religious group’s diversity in doctrines. One of the beliefs enshrines the existence of the Trinity. Scholars argue that the Trinity ideology refers to representing the Almighty in three forms: God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Patte, 2019). The doctrine is an essential pillar in the construction and definition of faith and God’s permanence within the sphere of life. Therefore, the belief is optimally inclined toward the significance of righteousness and God’s personality features and manifestations.
A different belief among Christians enshrines the existence of God as the only creator of all living and non-living things. Research indicates that the centric focus on God as the Almighty renders the autonomy and reliability of the religious group (Patte, 2019). In this case, the critical emphasis of God’s dominance and the relativity to the sanctity of life fosters the profound relevance of spiritual replenishing.
In a different aspect, Christians believe in the birth, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ as the gateway to attaining salvation (Patte, 2019). Considered the son of God, the scripture indicates that God’s love for Christians is demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus. Notably, Christians further believe that the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ marked the rebirth of the relationship between God and man.
Practices
Different Christian practices have a distinctive effect on believers in enhancing spirituality levels. Becky et al. (2021) argue that one of the imminent responsibilities among Christians enshrines evangelism. The scripture establishes that the believers’ responsibility entails increasing the pool of disciples. In this case, the counterparts commit to spreading Christianity and the amplified praise and worship of God by preaching the gospel to the non-believers (Van Aaken & Buchner, 2020).
Besides believing in the Trinity, Christians learn and practice moral behavioral quotients. An excellent example regards loving the neighbor and protecting the sanctity of life. A disparate Christian practice engulfs the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. Christians participate in the events to remember Jesus’ life and salvation. The dynamic types of Christian engagements aptly intensify the relationship with God and fellow believers.
Christianity is a multimodal phenomenon dependent on the distinctive practices among the believers. Studies establish that the core doctrine of Christianity involves righteousness and evangelism (Bonga, 2012). On the one hand, it is paramount that the believers adeptly preach God’s word. On the other hand, believers must adhere to the Biblical teachings to live according to God’s will. In this case, Christians participate in fasting, praying, and fellowship to strengthen their spirituality and bond with God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Islam
Origin
The Islamic religion is one of the popular sects globally due to its profound practices and belief system. Islam originated in the Middle East and was founded by Muhammad, who was believed to be Allah’s last messenger. Research establishes that Islam involves profound teachings written in the Quran within the 7th century as a revelation to Muhammad by Allah (Ansary, 2019). There are five key pillars of the Islamic religion. The doctrine is based on hajj, zakat, shahadah, sawm, and salah. Muslims adhere to a stringent belief system as the baseline aspect in attaining salvation.
Beliefs
There is a significant difference between Christianity and the Islamic religion. While Christians believe in the Trinity, Muslims’ faith is monotheistic. Ideally, Muslims believe in the existence of God in one form, contrary to the Christian faith system. Muslims further believe that Muhammad is God’s last messenger, whose main aim is to spread Quran teachings among people to learn righteousness from God (Gibb, 2022).
In this case, there is a relatively constructive foundation on the belief based on the adeptly defined five pillars mainframe. The first pillar enshrines the belief in Muhammad and, ultimately, God. According to the Islamic religion, there is only one Almighty God. As a result, it is the core responsibility of Muslims to adhere to the other belief system involving prayers to enhance the relationship with Allah (Gibb, 2022).
Persistent prayers enhance the connection between the believer and God; hence, the prominence of prioritizing the structural practice. Muslims believe in angels and the significance of almsgiving and fasting. Muslims’ distinctive responsibility is strengthening their faith through profound indicators affirming their commitment to God’s righteous deeds.
Practices
The Muslims participate in dynamic ceremonies and practices to intensify their relationship with God. One of the imminent endeavors regards the pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims refer to Mecca as the holy city since it is Muhammad’s birthplace, and the believers turn to the region’s direction during their prayers as indicated in the qiblah (Herberg-Rothe, 2020).
Apart from the visit to Mecca, the Islamic faith is founded on the importance of charity. Muslims believe all followers are responsible for participating in donations and empowering others to become self-reliant. Muslims persistently practice being prayerful to amplify their relationship with God while reading the Quran’s teachings for an in-depth understanding (Gibb, 2022). As a result, Muslims utilize the lunar cycle in their calendar to determine the holidays for celebrating their faith, mainly Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Islam in Europe
There is a profound historical account regarding the Islamic religion in the European region. Introduced in the 7th century by the Caliphate of Umayyad descent, the Islamic faith aptly influenced the reconstruction of the vital political, social, and economic domains (Theron & Oliver, 2018). An excellent example regards the impact of the Islamic religion on the Romans. Contrary to Christianity, the religious sect caused diversity in the belief system, contributing to war and unity.
On the one hand, Islam and Christianity focused on distinctive interpretations of the scripture and the existence of God, leading to a conflict to enhance dominance. On the other hand, the Islamic faith played a crucial role in improving the bond shared among the counterparts. Islam in the European region has proficiently influenced the dynamism of faith and practices.
The Mediterranean is one of the European regions with a significant concentration of Muslim believers. According to scholars, Islam was introduced in Italy and then spread into the Mediterranean communities (Van Buren III et al., 2020). The European regions with a significantly higher percentage of Muslims include Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Balkans. Apart from the evangelic preaching of the Islamic faith, the intense migration of Muslims from the Middle East to the European continent contributed to an elevated population of believers. The diversified appeal of religiosity and spirituality optimally influenced perceptions among the European community members regarding the multiplicity of religion.
European Powers Fight against Islam: Europe
Over the decades, the European powers persistently fought against the Islamic religion due to distinctive sociocultural, political, and economic domains. The spread of the Islamic religion rendered divergent opportunities and threats to European leaders. On the one hand, the Europeans used the rivalry between Christianity and Islam to invade the Middle Eastern and North African countries politically. On the other hand, introducing the Islamic belief system in the European region caused intensified tension among the followers from the various sects (Van Aaken & Buchner, 2020). Therefore, the European powers proficiently fought the Islamic religion to enhance Christian dominance and its core values and virtues.
The conflict between European powers and Islamic religious groups was attributed to the dynamic Crusade events, which led to massive loss of lives and destruction of property. While the Muslims retaliated to defend their sovereignty in the Middle East and North African countries, the European leaders focused on political and economic dominance (Madden, 2005). In this case, the Europeans established the contrast in cultural norms and practices as the formative outlier, justifying the invasive techniques to limit the spread of the Islamic faith.
The Crusades
The First Crusade (1096-1099)
Different factors contributed to the emergence of the First Crusade, which led to dynamic, religious-based wars, causing distinctive consequences. Before the battle’s onset, Christians and Muslims shared Jerusalem’s holy land. However, driven by greed, the European powers allied with the Catholics to ambush and capture the Muslim Seljuk Turks, considered a prominent holy place (Madden, 2005). After four years of war, the Christians won and dominated the region since 1099 (Theron & Oliver, 2018). Despite the desperation to establish superiority, the First Crusade formed the foundation of the distinctive tension between the Muslims and Christians.
The Second Crusade (1147-1149)
The second crusade involved the battle between monarchs as representative Christians against the Muslims. In 1144, the Middle Eastern Muslims conquered the Edessa state, an initiative that prompted the European powers to wage the Crusades against the Islamic nations (Ansary, 2019). In this case, Pope Eugene III, King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Conrad III of Germany, and Louis VII of France combined their forces to reclaim the state of Edessa. However, the European powers failed in the battle and subsequent conflicts in Dorylaeum and Inab in 1147 and 1149, respectively (Jones, 2018). The loss was attributed to the European powers and the Christians’ commitment to persistently engaging in the religious wars for proficient dominance.
The Third Crusade (1189-1192)
The Third Crusade transpired due to the consequential conquering of Jerusalem by the Muslims. The Third Crusade was a formative religious war that Christians and Muslims participated in between 1189 and 1192 (Madden, 2005). In 1187, the Saladin military won the battle against Jerusalem, and the Muslims took over (Madden, 2005).
The incident is attributed to the alliance formation among three foremost European leaders: King Frederick I from Germany, King Philip II from France, and King Richard I from England (Theron & Oliver, 2018). Regardless of the massive troop of Christians against the Muslims, they eventually had a deadlock, with the Christians celebrating a few victories. Losing the state of Jerusalem to the Muslims as a holy land triggered the flow of the subsequent crusades involving the Christians and Muslims.
The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204)
Christians persistently formed alliances to engage the Muslims in a battle to reclaim the city of Jerusalem. A conflict between 1202 and 1204 led to the distinctive destruction of property and loss of lives (Jones, 2018). Pope Innocent III collaborated with the Genoese, French, and Venetians against the significantly expanding Islamic Ottoman Empire to conquer the Byzantine region (McKitterick, 1995). In this case, the European powers intensively engaged in the war to inhibit the Muslims’ success in dominating the region.
Due to the tension between the Venetians and the French, the Fourth Crusade proved a significant failure. The main reason was the disparate intentions between the Venetians and the French. On the one hand, the French focused on the takeover of Constantinople. On the other hand, the Venetians invested in conquering the Dalmatian coast. The discordance between the French and the Venetians aptly contributed to the profound incompetence.
The Fifth Crusade (1217-1221)
The unsuccessful fourth crusade triggered the emergence of the fifth crusade based on the hostility between Muslims and Christians. The fifth crusade of the religious wars transpired between 1217 and 1221 with the critical objective of Christians reclaiming Jerusalem. The European powers that collaborated in the battle included King Henry III of England and Louis VIII of France.
Despite amassing the dynamic forces, the Muslims maintained their dominance in Jerusalem. However, the European and Christian collaborators conquered Damietta in Egypt in 1219 (Madden, 2015). Due to the overwhelming forces from the Egyptian Sultan Al-Kamil, the European powers retreated.
The fifth crusade marked a distinctive paradigm shift concerning the key players in the religious wars. Since the onset of the combats, the Pope organized the attacks and mobilized the allies. Ideally, during the Fifth Crusade, one of the kings coordinated the logistics and allegiances without the involvement of the Pope. The change in the accountability index is attributed to the alteration in the religious and political spheres.
The Sixth Crusade (1228-1229)
The imminent ruling of Jerusalem by the Muslims fostered the prevailing conflict with the Christians and European powers. The sixth crusade between 1228 and 1229 involved the battle between Christians and Muslims (Jensen, 2016). However, the involvement of the Roman Emperor led to a distinctive change in the tactics of reconciliation and agreements.
Emperor Frederick II comprehended the inevitability of the Christians’ defeat by the Muslims in reclaiming the city of Jerusalem since 1187 due to the outnumbered soldiers (Jensen, 2016). In this case, Frederick II proposed a treaty with the Muslims ruling Jerusalem city based on the key benefits for the Christians and Muslims. Frederick II indicated that religious diversity fostered peace within the region, while trickling down to intensive economic growth and development based on the influx of investors. As a result, the Christians’ reclaiming Jerusalem in 1229 encapsulated a profoundly defined and agreed treaty (Halsall, 1996). The harmonious settlement between Christians and Muslims on Jerusalem city’s governance alleviated the hostility.
The Seventh Crusade (1248-1254)
Despite the truce between the Christians and Muslims at the end of the Sixth Crusade, the events of the Seventh Crusade caused distinctive damage to the mutual relationship. The king of France, Louis IX, forged a war with the Muslims ruling Jerusalem to reclaim the territory. In 1248, Louis IX lobbied the Egyptian naval institution but failed to overwhelm the Muslim forces during the conflict (Chevedden, 2011). The incident led to the arrest of King Louis and his release in 1250 by the Egyptians (Chevedden, 2011). Although the Muslims retained their territorial state of Jerusalem city, the conflict played a vital role in the amplification of the malice between the Muslims and Christians.
The Eighth Crusade (1270)
The eighth crusade significantly influenced the imminent hostility between the Muslims and Christians. As the last crusade of the religious wars, the combat ensued in 1270, organized and spearheaded by the king of France, Louis IX. The main aim of the battle involved overwhelming the Muslim army and retaking the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, the king mobilized a significant percentage of the forces and launched an attack against the Muslims.
However, two variables fostered the Christians’ ability to overthrow the Muslims. One of the factors was an outbreak of a plague, prompting the French to pull back and set a camp at Tunis (Chevedden, 2011). The second entity involved the Muslims’ ambush of the French while strategizing in Tunis. The failure of King Louis IX marked the end of the religious wars between the Christians and Muslims to conquer the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The Conflicts That We Fight Today
Religious pluralism in Israel is a multifaceted dimension that promotes freedom among the residents while facing a significant challenge, mainly because of the dynamic belief system. In a research study by Small (2020), the researcher argues that religious diversity is a crucial element in a country since it enhances the sharing of dynamic ideals about religiosity. The researcher further explores the essence of religious pluralism in Israel under the scope of young Muslim adults. In this case, the scholar records that many young Muslim adults appreciate religious diversity and interact with individuals from other religious groups (Small, 2020).
On the one hand, religious diversity fosters the freedom among the Israelites to express and practice their belief systems. On the other hand, religious pluralism enhances the controversy about the authenticity of religious beliefs. Religious pluralism in Israel is an issue that promotes diversity while fostering a dynamic challenge of conflicting ideals and policies.
Religious pluralism fosters the development of different interpretations of belief practices. According to Theron and Oliver (2018), religious interpretation enshrines three approaches: inclusivity, exclusivity, and pluralism. Inclusivity is the concept of involving all other religious practices in common ideals, such as morality. An excellent example is the right to life that all religious believers agree to support. The exclusivity ideology is an interpretation of the belief system that is an exception to other religious practices. An excellent example is alcoholism. Some religions allow the consumption of alcohol by believers.
However, the Islamic religion forbids the consumption of alcohol and considers it a sin. In this case, religious pluralism in Israel poses a significant challenge due to the dynamic belief practices. The pluralist interpretation considers all religious statements to be authentic. However, none of the religions is superior to the others. Although there is a significant challenge in religiosity’s dynamic interpretation, it is a mainstay that empowers a transformational ideal.
Religious pluralism fosters the transformation of the communities mainly because of the interplay of global issues. According to Knoetze (2021), religious diversity enhances a nation’s transformation due to the integration of different appeals about religiosity. Knoetze (2021) further depicts that transformation fosters the evolution of society.
An excellent example is the transformation of African traditions towards Western culture and religious belief. Despite the significant opposition during the colonial era, African society incorporated Western culture and religious practices, thus enhancing unity and peace with the vast global society. Religious diversity is a mainstay that leads to an interplay of the essential values of a global community.
On the other hand, religious pluralism plays a vital role in the diversification of the legal framework of a country. In 1992, the Israeli government aligned its legal construct under the Jewish customary beliefs and practices (Topidi, 2019). However, as a state that advocates for religious pluralism, it is crucial to establish law enforcement approaches that accommodate diversity. Topidi (2019) depicts that ethno-religious groups establish independent institutions such as the judicial courts and the legal frameworks.
An excellent example of an ethno-religious group in Israel that established its legal framework is Islam, institutionalizing the Sharia courts and Sharia law. On the one hand, the diversity of religious beliefs leads to the independence and promotion of justice and equity. On the other hand, there has been significant growth in the number of religious groups. Therefore, the promotion of independent religious legal frameworks threatens the necessity of a nation’s integrity. In this case, religious pluralism is a concept that highly challenges the implementation of the legal framework in Israel due to the dynamic views about inclusivity and exclusivity.
Religious pluralism significantly affects the legitimacy of the government’s actions towards promoting justice and unity. Sapir and Statman (2019) stipulate that the critical solution to the influence of religion in government actions includes separating the two frameworks. There is a profound religious pluralism in Israel. In this case, an attempt to allow an intersection of the state and religion influences the level of morality and justice across the nation. Although the religious groups appreciate the government’s support, it contrasts with the rights of the atheists.
Ideally, the government must separate its system from religious belief systems and practices. According to Sapir and Statman (2019), religious pluralism led to the Israeli government’s resolution to defect from the Jewish religious support mainly because it defied the critical campaign to enhance diversity. The government ended the Rabbinate institution, support for Torah seminaries, and the ritual baths. The halting of the government’s support for the ideal religious practices fostered liberalism across the Israeli state.
There is a dynamic valuation of religious diversity in Israel, mainly because of the interaction between naturalism and liberalism. Naturalism refers to the concept of either agreeing or disagreeing with the ideals of different religious practices. An excellent example is the existence of God. Although different religious groups advocate for different views of God’s existence, a naturalist establishes that all religious groups are right or wrong (Small, 2020). Therefore, there is no perspective on superiority or inferiority.
In this case, naturalism reflects the interpretation of liberalism mainly because it allows freedom of religion and freedom from it. The Israeli government strives to attain a liberal status in the country, hence its separation from the essence of religious pluralism. It bases its agenda on an economic and political agenda to enhance equality, growth, and development.
Conclusion
Religious war is an issue that significantly affects a region’s growth and development rate socially, politically, and economically. Since the early 1100s, the Islamic and Christian religious sects battled for profound dominance. The tension and contrast between the Christians and Muslims fostered a distinctive opportunity for the European powers to participate in the conflicts to take control of the Middle East and North African countries. Conquering the nations rendered distinctive benefits to the Europeans, such as the accessibility of minerals and oil for economic purposes. Therefore, the fundamental drive of religious wars encompasses the proficient essence of political and economic power internationally.
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