When Missionary Religions Meet: Reflections on Muslim–Christian Dialogue





I recently came across a post online where a Christian asked Muslims why it seemed difficult for the two communities to have genuinely respectful dialogue, especially when both faiths claim to teach respect for God.

When I read the question, I could not help but smile. From my observation, both Christianity and Islam share something fundamental: they are missionary religions. Both traditions believe they hold the truth and both carry a strong sense of responsibility to bring that truth to the rest of the world.

In that sense, they are not merely neighbours in the religious landscape, they are also spiritual competitors.

Because of this, each community often views the other through the lens of conversion. When Muslims hear that someone has left Islam, there is sometimes an immediate assumption that the person may have moved toward Christianity.

Likewise, when Christians encounter Muslims who are questioning their faith, some see them as potential converts. Both religions carry a deep concern about salvation and the idea of saving souls from eternal punishment.

This creates a strong motivation to guide others toward what they believe is the correct path.


However, something interesting happens when people step outside both frameworks.
When someone says, “I am not interested in Islam or Christianity, I am simply an atheist,” it tends to disrupt the assumptions of both sides.

For a moment, there is confusion. The conversation no longer fits into the familiar narrative of one religion replacing another.

In my experience, some Christians even express the view that it is better for someone to remain Muslim than to become an atheist, because at least a Muslim still believes in God.

Perhaps this reveals something important about interfaith dialogue. Sometimes the real challenge is not hostility, but the fact that both sides are operating within similar religious frameworks, each convinced that they possess the ultimate truth.

Scholars of religion have long noted this dynamic. For example, Hugh Goddard, in his work on Christian–Muslim relations, describes Islam and Christianity as historically interacting as rival universal religions, each carrying a mission to bring its message to the world.

Because both traditions see themselves as custodians of ultimate truth, their encounters often carry an implicit element of competition.

Reference
Hugh Goddard
Christians and Muslims: From Double Standards to Mutual Understanding (1995)



​13th March 2026