An Analysis of Fundamentals and Factors of Positive Thinking and the Ways of its Emergence in Islam and the New Testament

In the current world, the comparative study of religions is one of the ways which provides peace and coexistence and makes the believers of religions closer together. Finding the common notions could be a foundation for the dialog among the monotheistic religions and a background to eliminate the misunderstandings and to reach common point of views. The cornerstone of all the common efforts of the believers to the religions is to reach to an understanding for building a better world where true peace is established.
In this way, the article seeks to verify the notion of positive thinking in the religious resources of Islam and Christianity. In order to understand the foundations of the religious teachings and to provide a better understanding among the believers, then, the article tries to discover the common fundamentals and the opposing points about the positive thinking in these two religions. We firstly try to explain the notion of positive thinking in Islam and Christianity and then to offer the recommended ways in both religions to create and to strengthen this way of thinking. As the different parts of the New Testament is not theologically homogeneous, this collection has been verified and explained in four different parts: Three Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), John's thoughts, thoughts and ideas of Paul and finally the Christian sects and late scholars.
The findings of the survey show that the notion of positive thinking in the monotheistic religions of Islam and Christianity can be traced back by the keyword "Hope". It is only the hope which could finally create the soul of positive attitude and thinking inside the humankind. This hope is accompanied by the prospect and causes the humankind to work hard to reach his/her goals. However, there are some opposing points in these two religions about the basic student, University of Esfahan[1] Professor, Research Institute of Hawzah and University foundation of this true hope: From the Koran viewpoint, the main foundation of the hope is God (Ensheghagh /6) and the human is obliged to follow his worldly goals in accordance with this foundation as well as faith to God and avoidance of committing sins (Towbeh /71). In other hand, the basic foundation of hope in the Three Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and the teachings of Paul is the promise of a coming Kingdom. Although there are some opposing views about the meaning of this as well as the ways to attain this hope, this hope is generally related to the purpose of human life and his/her life hereafter. The Christ, in the John's thoughts, is the source of hope and everybody, believing in God, must also have hope to Jesus Christ. Effects and functions of such hope are strengthening the spirit of love and kindness to others.
Hence, in Christianity, the hope and positive thinking about the future, along with good deeds, reflects different viewpoints. In the other hand, in Koran, this is faith to God and fulfilling the Sharia orders which ignite and strengthen this hope and way of thinking. This is the base that continues nowadays with Vilāya and the love for Ahlulbeit in the Shiite views.