Question

Short Essay

1. Develop an argument that evaluates what factors lead to the emergence and spread of Christianity and Islam. How was the spread of each similar and different?

Answer 1

Factors that led to the emergence and spread of Christianity are the

peace of Rome

The ability of Romans to keep peace within the empire meant that the message of Christianity could be spread far and wide without the physical danger and information blackout that so often accompanies war. Imagine the difficulties that would arise in attempting to communicate a new faith in such contemporary war-torn countries as Afghanistan or Syria. Early Christians therefore took advantage of Rome’s famous pax Romana to spread their faith about the coming of the Messiah Jesus.

Easy travel

The advancements in technology in Rome allowed them to build a reliable system of roads throughout the Empire. Christian missionaries like the Apostle Paul were able to utilize these roads in spreading the gospel message and founding new churches throughout the Roman world. These Roman roads made travel easy and that accessibility allowed new ideas to spread quickly throughout the Mediterranean world.

common language followed.

The common language of trade or commerce was Koine Greek (or common Greek). This was the same language that was used to write the New Testament. Thus, in a sense, the language of the New Testament was functioning like the universal language of the Mediterranean world. Consider how advantageous it was to be able to communicate the gospel message without a language barrier. Virtually the entire Mediterranean world was able to converse in the very language of the Christian Scriptures.

Clearly the stability of the Mediterranean world in general and the Roman Empire in particular helped the Christian message to spread far, wide and rapidly.

Courageous Martyrs

While a debate is ongoing regarding just how much persecution Christians received within the Roman Empire, it is widely accepted that the courageous deaths of some of the early Christian martyrs had a positive impact in attracting people to the faith. Knowing that one’s death is forthcoming is enough to bring virtually any person to their knees. Yet the apostles’ belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus gave them amazing courage in the face of death . If the apostles had reason to doubt the reality of Jesus’s resurrection, surely these martyrs wouldn’t have risked their lives in this way.

Christianity's gracious plan of salvation

Gospel proclamation that the Savior Jesus Christ had made atonement for sin via Roman crucifixion was extremely appealing to many in the ancient world. The view that salvation is the gift of a loving God who forgives all sins, regardless of race or social status, was very different from what the other religions and philosophies of the time offered. Since many of the initial followers of Christ were slaves in the Roman Empire, these people readily embraced the incredible message that God uniquely cares for the world’s poor and disadvantaged people. The Christian teaching that God is love (1 John 4:8) was a magnet to people who had been taught to fear and appease the various gods of the Greco-Roman world.

Universal faith

Earliest Jewish Christians viewed Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah whose coming was foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures . Yet while the Jesus movement was birthed from Old Testament Judaism, the Christian faith did not adopt all of the distinctive cultural practices of Judaism (for example, circumcision, dietary laws, etc.). Thus, a very attractive element of the Christian faith for Gentiles was that it was viewed as a universal religion that was open to all people from all cultural backgrounds. Historic Christianity affirmed that Jews and Gentiles were one through their common faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28). Christianity would go on to become a religion that is affirmed by people throughout the world.

Factors that led to the spread of Islam are

• Islam spread t mainly through military conquest, trade, pilgrimage, and missionaries.
• Arab Muslim forces conquered vast territories and built imperial structures over time.
• Most of the significant expansion occurred during the reign of the Rashidun from 632 to 661 CE, which was the reign of the first four successors of Muhammad.

The caliphate—a new Islamic political structure—evolved and became more sophisticated during the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates.

The way of spread of Islam through merchants, missionaries, and pilgrims was very different in nature. These kinds of exchanges affected native populations slowly and led to more conversion to Islam. As Islamic ideas traveled along various trade and pilgrimage routes, they mingled with local cultures and transformed into new versions and interpretations of the religion.

During the mid range of 17th century, after subduing rebellions in the Arabian peninsula, Arab Muslim armies began to swiftly conquer territory in the neighboring Byzantine and Sasanian empires and beyond. Within roughly two decades, they created a massive Arab Muslim empire spanning three continents. The Arab Muslim rulers were not purely motivated by religion, nor was their success attributed to the power of Islam alone, though religion certainly played a part

Islam appears be be like a perfect work of architecture. All the arts in it are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other, nothing lacking, with the result of an absolute balance and solid composure. Everything in the teaching and, postulates of Islam is in its proper places

The similarities and differences in the spread of Islam and Christianity

Yes. Up until the time of Constantine, Christianity was a spiritual movement spread word of mouth by evangelists and converts. It bore a message freely available to all completely devoid of the constraints of personality, nationality, class, race, ethnicity, and gender. Among Jesus' last words to his disciples were: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Both mainly spread via conquest however the effect is more emphasised in Christianity with Conquestadors and with Colonialism. In the spread of Islam though e.g. in Indian Ocean basin up until Indonesia and Africa (excluding Norrhern Africa) the effect of trade is more nuanced.

Some of the differences…

Islam did not have Crusades or Crusaders in the historical sense but Islam has a similar concept called Jihad fighting with the enemies of Islam.

Islam does not have missionaries who are the powerhouses for the spread of Christianity.

Islam did not have Inquisition. Islamic societies (e.g. ME) were more diverse for a longer time.

Islam does not have a Church system like Christianity which were the wealthiest entitites (at times richer than the states themselves) which could provide financial backing for any remote spreading operations like missionaries, Crusades, or Geographical explorations.

Spread of Christianity in Eastern Asia in the near past after WWII in Korea, Thailand, India also is directly related with (mainly) Christian world powers, hegomonic pop culture and missionaries.

Spread of Islam in Europe and America in the near past has more to do with immigration because of a destabilised MiddleEast or authotarian regimes which have been backed and then sacked by mostly Christian World powers.