The Incarnation in Christianity and Islam: Two Radically Different Understandings of One Biographical Narrative The event of the Incarnation, that is, the embodiment of God in human form, is a central doctrine of Christianity and an absolutely unacceptable idea in Islam. This fundamental difference, the schism between the two Abrahamic religions, stems from their nuclear understanding of the nature of God and His connection with the world. It is necessary to consider this topic systematically, analyzing theological foundations, the interpretation of the same historical figures (Jesus/Iesa and Mary/Maryam), and the consequences for religious practice. 1. Christianity: The Incarnation as the Center of the History of Salvation In Christianity, the Incarnation is not just a miracle but a central event in world history, a pre-eternal decision of God to save humanity. Dogmatic essence: The Word of God (Logos), the second Person of the Holy Trinity, eternally begotten from the Father, assumes human nature, inseparably and undividedly uniting it with the divine in the person (hypostasis) of Jesus Christ. This is formulated in the dogmas of the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD). Jesus Christ is true God and true Man in one person. Goal and meaning: The goal of the Incarnation is redemption. God becomes man to overcome sin and death through His voluntary death and Resurrection, reconcile fallen humanity with Himself, and grant it the possibility of deification (theosis). "God became man so that man might become god" (St. Athanasius the Great). Significance of the Virgin Mary: Mary is not just the mother of the prophet but the Theotokos. Her consent ("Behold, the handmaid of the Lord") becomes a necessary condition for the Incarnation. Her virginity before, during, and after childbirth emphasizes the supernatural nature of the event. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854) in Catholicism asserts that she was conceived without original sin to become a worthy vessel for ... Read more