The world’s most widespread religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are based on the same tradition that dates back to the Jewish patriarch Abraham. Therefore, all of the three are frequently defined by the umbrella term “Abrahamic religions.” However, the religions are apparently different, as they appeared in different sociocultural contexts and underwent numerous reinterpretations in the course of their development. In modern society, they have to adapt to the overall secularity.
Judaism is traditionally a purely Jewish religion that serves to distinguish Jews from non-Jews; hence it does not presuppose any missionary work. Such a perspective probably derives from the historical lack of a single Jewish unity, due to which the religion was the only mean of incorporation. In the modern globalist and liberal world, Judaism comprises numerous schools and is no more compulsory for anyone, including the citizens of Israel.
Contrariwise, Christianity has a rich and diverse history of expansion and missionary outreach. As a part of the process, it split into several culture-specific movements, each of which interpreted the Bible in its own way. Nevertheless, there are phenomena that none of the Christian theologians had accepted until recently, such as women’s emancipation or homosexuality. Meanwhile, modern society appreciates human rights; consequently, the Christian ideology is being adjusted.
As for Muslims, their lives are traditionally built around a set of strict rituals that regard every sphere. Presumably, this is the result of Mohammed’s desire to develop a unique ideology free from Judaic, Christian, and pagan additions. However, the modern pace of living eliminates following all recommendations, for which reason Islam is undergoing reformation. More developed Muslim communities, whose members lead a busy lifestyle, have discontinued several of the excessive limitations and prohibitions.
To summarize, the three largest Abrahamic religions that are seemingly intertwined have been considerably different throughout history and continue to change nowadays. Some changes derive from secularization, in other words, replacing religious values with humanistic ones. Another reason is the modern lifestyle, which leaves less time and energy for rituals than there used to be historical. Finally, globalization has also contributed to the reformation of religion as a phenomenon.