The centrality of the role of humans constitutes the chief difference among them.

The centrality of the role of humans constitutes the chief difference among them. Of course, there has always been divine, mystical, and religious thinking in the West. But there is no doubt that as God and religion were central to the Middle Ages, nature and humans are central to the modern world. In the Middle Ages, other­worldly issues carried more weight and prestige, and here Muslims and Christians were similar.

But in today's world, focus on the afterlife has been replaced by secular concerns. In the modern world, even though the boundless optimism of…