The exploration of the relationship between humans and God in world religions reveals an astonishing diversity of spiritual experiences and emotional attachments.

Diverse Paths to Experiencing the Divine

The exploration of the relationship between humans and God in world religions reveals an astonishing diversity of spiritual experiences and emotional attachments. In Christianity, God appears as an intensely personal and loving companion, whom one strives to approach through Christ. In this tradition, the promises of eternal life and union with the Divine hold a central place, imbuing every moment of faith with energy and warmth. In this approach, a person does not merely follow commandments but literally seeks to dissolve into love, finding in it a spiritual rebirth and the strength to overcome life's challenges.

In contrast, Islam emphasizes the absolute transcendence of God. Although the human being occupies a place of honor as the highest creation and the trusted representative on Earth, the distance between the Heavenly Creator and the believer remains fundamentally insurmountable. This tradition creates a unique rhythm of spiritual life where respect and awe for the inaccessibility of God become an integral component of faith. Such a perspective helps Muslims appreciate the grandeur and mystical depth of the Divine order, forming a special culture of worship in which the human role, despite its high status, remains in the shadow of the Creator’s magnificence and unfathomability.

Judaism, on the other hand, stresses the incomprehensible greatness and holiness of God, where intimate acquaintance with the Heavenly Radiance is regarded as something beyond human experience. Here, adherence to the sacred law serves as the main guide, allowing one gradually to understand the essence of the Divine by observing the commandments and covenanted relationships. This spiritual practice helps cultivate a deep sense of reverential respect and cautious longing for closer intimacy with that unattainable light that surrounds God.

In summary, each religion offers its unique route on the path of spiritual quest: Christianity extols intimate closeness through love and personal communion, Islam underscores God's immeasurable transcendence despite the high status assigned to humans, and Judaism elevates the absolute sanctity and greatness of God by grounding knowledge in the covenant and sacred law. These distinctions not only reflect the richness of theological traditions but also inspire one to seek a personal spiritual path imbued with the aspiration to comprehend higher truths.

How are the concepts of God interpreted in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and what are the main differences between them?

In Christianity, the concept of God is closely connected with a deep, personal, and intimate relationship between the believer and the Divine. Primarily, God is presented as Love, with whom a person seeks union through Christ in order to receive the promises of eternal life and spiritual communion. As one source states, "Christian Paradise, despite, as we have mentioned earlier, implying the formative participation of humanity, is strictly and emphatically theocentric: I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Phil 1:23); we long to leave the body and be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8); the entire meaning of the future blessed life for a Christian is to be with the beloved and loving God, to behold His countenance (Rev 22:4), and to partake in His nature: great and precious promises have been granted to us so that through them we might become partakers of the Divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)" (source: link txt, page: 45-46). Here, the focus is on the profound connection with God achieved through love, faith, and the promises given in the sacred texts.

In Islam, in contrast, God is perceived as an absolutely transcendent and inaccessible entity, maintaining a significant distance from the believer. Despite the high regard for humanity as the best of creations and God’s representative on Earth, the relationship between man and God is characterized by a fundamentally greater distance. This is reflected in the following quote: "This difference arises from the gap between man and God as seen from the viewpoints of Islam and Christianity. Overall, Islam holds man in high esteem: 'man is the best and most perfect creation. Man is appointed as God’s representative on Earth. Man is a prophet and a friend of God. Man is the essence of the Universe.' Yet, despite this, the distance between man and God in Islam is incomparably larger, and the quality of the relationship is fundamentally different from that in Christianity" (source: link txt, page: 45-46). Thus, Islam accentuates the mystery and inaccessibility of God, even for those who are endowed with a chosen role in the world.

In Judaism, God is presented through His greatness and holiness, reflected in images of the immeasurable glory that surrounds His throne, and strict prohibitions against a close perception of this divine essence. Jewish texts note that "Jewish writings frequently mention the radiant glory surrounding God’s throne; great power rendered kings inaccessible to ordinary people. In the Old Testament, it is asserted that no one can see the fullness of God’s glory and survive (Ex. 33:20). In later Judaism this thesis is especially emphasized (although some Jewish mystics, explaining the visions of Ezekiel (Ezek. 1) and Isaiah (Isa. 6), sometimes made attempts)" (source: link txt, page: 6114-6115). Another understanding of God in Judaism involves establishing covenanted relationships, where knowing God is closely linked to following the commandments: "He has engraved His law on our hearts; there is no need to further instruct us in knowing God: everyone, from the least to the greatest, has come to know God!" (source: link txt, page: 1025-1037).

Thus, the main differences are as follows:

1. In the Christian tradition, God appears as loving, intimate, and personal, whom a person seeks through Christ and personal communion.
2. In Islam, despite the high status of humanity, God remains absolutely transcendent and remote, and the relationship with Him is characterized by fundamental distance.
3. In Judaism, the emphasis is on the divine holiness and greatness, where knowing God occurs through adhering to the law and revelation, while direct vision of God’s glory remains forbidden.

These distinctive portrayals of God reflect deep theological traditions and the diversity of understanding the Divine in each of these religions.