Bible and Quran

Christianity is not a religion founded on a book in the way that Islam is founded on the Quran. The Bible, central as it is to Christian life, did not originate as a single, unified text. The first part, what Christians call the Old Testament, is a collection of writings that grew out of the Hebrew culture—poetry, laws, stories, and prophecies gathered over centuries. Christianity inherited these texts and later added its own writings, the New Testament, which reflect the life, teachings, and significance of Jesus. In this sense, the Bible is more of a library than a single revelation.

During the Protestant Reformation, the authority of the Pope was set aside and replaced with the authority of Scripture. The principle of sola scriptura—“Scripture alone”—meant that the Bible itself became the ultimate authority, and in practice the infallibility once attributed to the Pope was transferred to the Bible. By contrast, for the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the Bible has never been treated as infallible in isolation. It is part of a larger stream of tradition, understood and interpreted within the living community of the Church.

Islam, on the other hand, stands on very different ground. The Quran is believed to be the very word of God, revealed directly to the Prophet Muhammad and preserved without error. It is not just a witness to revelation but the revelation itself. Islam is therefore founded on the Quran, and Muslims are called to live their lives according to its words.

The difference is clear: Christianity is ultimately founded on a person, Jesus Christ, and the Bible serves as a witness to him. Islam, however, is founded on a text, the Quran, understood as God’s final and perfect revelation.