Christianity and Islam Essay

During the Post Classical Period, from their various(prenominal) religious origins to the 1500s, the Christian anti merchant posture sharply contrasts with the Islamic pro merchant attitude towards raft. Both Christianity and Islams attitudes gradually became more neutral, more moderate towards the check of the Post Classical.The sharpest contrast between the views of Christians and Merchants towards trade can be seen during their respective religions origins, as exemplified in historys 1, 2 and 3. enrolment 1 illustrates the founder of Christianity, Jesus negative view towards merchants and trade, along with Document 3 illustrating the early Churchs suspicion and negative attitude towards trade. Document 2 illustrates the founder of Islam, Mohammeds positive view towards merchants and trade. For example, in Document 1, Jesus, founder of Christianity, proclaims, A rich man shall hardly enter into the soil of heaven (Doc. 1). Early on, even from the foundations of Christiani ty, riches and wealth were deemed incompatible with the Christian ideal, the entrance to the kingdom of heaven.Early Christianity, therefore, viewed trade and riches as inherently evil and exploitive. The official Christian view, coming from its authoritative source, the Bible, decrees that the rich man, usually affiliated with the mercantile lifestyle, cannot possibly truly and correctly fit the faith, thus alienating merchants and traders, a harshly anti merchant, anti trade paradigm. In accordance with Jesus view, St. Godric in Document 3 lived xvi years as a merchant but gave up his merchant livelihood to take up the cross as a pilgrim to Jerusalem.Thus, St. Godric becomes holy by natural endowment up his material, mercantile possessions and instead, becomes a pilgrim to give himself to Gods service. St. Godric, in the Christian tradition is venerated not for his mercantile skills or his keen work proficiency, but rather for his decision to give himself to Gods service. Th us, the Church, by virtue of canonizing St. Godric, emphasizes the hermit part of his life, much more so than his merchant livelihood.