AHC: Wank Christianity

MichiganNationalist1837

With a POD of any time after the foundation of Christianity, how can Christianity become as large as possible by 2017? It can be a less traditional Christian sect like Gnosticism or Nestorianism, but it has to have Jesus accepted as Son of God and being the central figure. It also has to be somewhat similar on other things. (i.e. no Manicheanism, unless it reforms.) Giving my own two cents, I think that the best way would be to avert Islam and convert China. How could this be done and what other places could be converted?
 
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JackLumber

Jesus isn't even accepted as god by all forms of otl christianity, it's the son of God bit that is universal. See arianism
 
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GullibleCynic

Well, I mean, considering its origins OTL is a pretty massive wank. I suppose you mean something like a chinese emperor adopting Christianity. There was a muslim one, so I suppose it is possible enough, though that didn't cause china to go muslim. No Islam too would help probably. Mostly just leaves India, if we assume Persia still falls and colonialism takes care of the rest of the world. Generally fractured states, so I dont know. Christian merchants making inroads maybe? The vast majority of the world is possible with that POD, but it'll require some finagling.
 

Escape Zeppelin

Have the the colonial European powers in Asia be much more accepting of doctrinal changes to suit local customs and practices while showing preferential treatment to Christians. Both the Portuguese and British undermined the power and influence of Indian Christians and had the Jesuits been allowed to meld Chinese customs and ancestor veneration with Christianity they probably could have built a strong following. There are many aspects of Catholicism that, properly steeped in Chinese culture, would likely have appeal to a Chinese emperor, from the divine right of kings to a centralized hierarchical religious authority.

The failure of the colonial European powers to significantly convert Asia to Christianity has probably has more to do with the strict doctrinal adherence they were demanding post-Reformation while rejecting local customs than any real rejection of Christianity.


Edit: Or just have the Mongols convert to Christianity. That might be the most direct method.
 

MichiganNationalist1837

If Christianity became dominant in the Middle East and Asia it would be pretty much universal. What would be the societal effects of having such a universal religion?
 

Lalli

Easiest way is avoid Islam. Then you have Christian Middle East and North Africa by 1000. With good luck even parts of Iran is christianised. Then Christianity could spread to other parts of Asia. Perhaps convertion of Mongols and Japanese altough I doubth that you can convert all of them. Might too spread to Indonesia and China but even there Christianity is probably minority religion.

And in Africa Christianity spread these areas which in OTL are Muslim majority. So Christian Somalia, Western Africa and Northern Nigeria.
 
NapoleonCorinII

NapoleonCorinII

Banned
Peter is more successful in Arabia, Muhammads islam is not as popular, this travels to Persia and Asia Minor, African and asian Traders start to pick it up. BAM!!!
Christianity is religion of all the old world minus Europe.
 

Kerney

Christianity becoming dominant in Northern Europe had as more to do with, violence, implied violence, and the advantages conversion offered the rulers than from the persuasiveness of its message.

So, have a Christian Middle East, and keep Christianity violent. Burn down enough Ashrams and Hindu Temples and you have India. Same applies anywhere.
 

RogueTraderEnthusiast

I'd suggest a failure of the Rashidun Caliphate - perhaps the Caliph causes internal divisions that gives the Romans time to recover from the invasions of Khosrau II.

After which, any attempts to invade Mesopotamia by either the Romans or Caliphate (if it reunifies), can shelter the Nestorians, and foster its spread in Zoroastrian Persia. After that it seems obvious to me that the Romans would want to have some sort of force designed for fighting in the northern deserts to contain the Arabs, a policy that in my opinion would lead to plans to conquer Arabia and convert it - and replacing Muslim Arab traders with Christian Arab, Egyptian or Mesopotamian traders that can spread the faith to Indonesia and beyond.
 
Indicus

Indicus

OTL is already one helluva wank.

But to get it even greater, I guess you could have St. Thomas convert more people in India, but doesn't explain Christianity to them very well. Hindu sages, analyzing the Bible after St. Thomas leaves, come to the view that "Yahweh" is Vishnu and declare Jesus (he'd be known as Isa, presumably) to be the son of Vishnu, thus incorporating Jesus into the Hindu pantheon. This "Cult of Isa" spreads across India, and as India influences Southeast Asia, it also spreads there.
 
Gukpard

Gukpard

A way to wank christianity is to have the Taipings to win in china, but that would be bordeline ASB

They would be considered heretics by pretty much all christian denominations, but they still would be christians
 

123456789blaaa

Gukpard said:
A way to wank christianity is to have the Taipings to win in china, but that would be bordeline ASB

They would be considered heretics by pretty much all christian denominations, but they still would be christians
Click to expand...

It's really not. The Taipings were quite close to winning multiple times. I really don't see why having the Northern Expedition succeed for example, is so impossible.
 
Gukpard

Gukpard

123456789blaaa said:
It's really not. The Taipings were quite close to winning multiple times. I really don't see why having the Northern Expedition succeed for example, is so impossible.
Click to expand...

The Taiping "ideology" is that their emperor was the brother of Jesus Christ, so much that they burned chinese and confunciam temples, the Taipings hardly would have the conditions to hold china with that doctrine
 

123456789blaaa

Gukpard said:
The Taiping "ideology" is that their emperor was the brother of Jesus Christ, so much that they burned chinese and confunciam temples, the Taipings hardly would have the conditions to hold china with that doctrine
Click to expand...

And what did the French revolutionaries do in France? Furthermore, there have been plenty of extremely strange, millenarian rebellions in China. They just moderate after they get into power. We see this even with the Taipings in OTL with Hong Rengan. He put Confucius back on the exams, instituted modernization, etc.

EDIT: I also don't see why "ideology" needs quotation marks?
 
Gukpard

Gukpard

123456789blaaa said:
And what did the French revolutionaries do in France? Furthermore, there have been plenty of extremely strange, millenarian rebellions in China. They just moderate after they get into power. We see this even with the Taipings in OTL with Hong Rengan. He put Confucius back on the exams, instituted modernization, etc.
Click to expand...

The french revolution ended with a Bourbon being crowned King again in 1815

And if the Taipings simple give and up on their ideology, they wouldn't be able to convert china to christianity
 
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