AH Challenge: 70% of the world Christian by 2009
- Thread starter Elidor
- Start date
I was thinking along the lines of Mongols converting to Eastern Orthodoxy / Nestorianism resulting in a Christian Dynasty in China, and if we are lucky, Persia and eventually India. But I wonder if that is plausible.
The easiest way to do it would simply be having the Christian world out-breed everywhere else, say with statistics like European countries all having populations of more than 70 million, and perhaps each of the America's near or more than a billion.
It would be easier statistics wise if you'd asked how can we get 70% to follow an Abrahamic religion (51% of the world do OTL) rather than making it that high in terms of Christianity (just over 31% OTL follow Christianity.), but yeah, easiest way is to just have them breed alot.
It would be easier statistics wise if you'd asked how can we get 70% to follow an Abrahamic religion (51% of the world do OTL) rather than making it that high in terms of Christianity (just over 31% OTL follow Christianity.), but yeah, easiest way is to just have them breed alot.
Christianity wouldn't last in China. IIRC was fairly prevalent under the Yuan Dynasty, but didn't survive long after they fell.
However, the Il-khanate, Golden Horde, and Chagatai Khanate are going to be interesting ITTL. I recall reading that after the Mongols devastated Persia, mosques were replaced with Buddhist temples and Nestorian Churches (a huge part of the population was killed in the invasion). This trend was only reversed when Ghazan Khan converted to Islam and overthrew Baydu. If this is avoided, a Nestorian Persia could plausibly be in the works.
Butterfly the Islam and then Christianity would be the largest religion in the world.
The Turks could have converted to the Orthodox Church en masse sometime in the 600s, but refused due to the treachery of the Byzantines.
The book I read this in said if that was the case, the Orthodox world would stretch all the way to the Pacific.
(I assume at that time, since it already does now with Russia)
The book I read this in said if that was the case, the Orthodox world would stretch all the way to the Pacific.
(I assume at that time, since it already does now with Russia)
Maybe the POD requirement is what holds this back. Ignoring the medieval POD. We can have St. Thomas convert India and have the Indians spread the gospel to SE Asia.
Since North India is likely to have their Buddhist Monasteries preserved. The Chinese will still journey there to retrieve Sutras, and are exposed to Christianity from yet another source. The Theological debates over Buddhism and Christianity will be very interesting.
MerryPrankster's idea of Turks converting to Chrisitianity is interesting too. In fact, if we could somehow find a way to convert Persia to Christianity, a lot of nomadic Central Asian tribes will follow their lead.
Since North India is likely to have their Buddhist Monasteries preserved. The Chinese will still journey there to retrieve Sutras, and are exposed to Christianity from yet another source. The Theological debates over Buddhism and Christianity will be very interesting.
MerryPrankster's idea of Turks converting to Chrisitianity is interesting too. In fact, if we could somehow find a way to convert Persia to Christianity, a lot of nomadic Central Asian tribes will follow their lead.
Well, the survivors of a Nuclear War would be easy to evangelize, that's for sure. Maybe a Nuclear war almost destroys the world, and people are disgusted at secular modernity and embrace religiosity en masse, with Christianity getting the most attention because it is a religion of compassion, human solidarity and penitence. A great person in the form of a post nuclear Saint might help. Maybe the Church will be united in some way in this TL.