More post-1700 mass religious conversion

[Socrates]

We think of religious conversion on a mass scale as being largely a pre-1700 thing. Christianity, Buddhism and Islam converted huge areas to long lasting effect. We have also had whole nations switch from Sunni to Shia Islam or from Catholicism to Protestantism and back again.

However, there is no reason to believe this has to stop around 1700. It just seems to be the way the cookie crumbled in our history. And there are signs that religious waves could have continued, if you look at the Boxers in China, Christianity in Korea, or rapid evangelical growth in Brazil today.

So what are the ingredients we need for an entire nation to change religion, or at least religious denomination, in the late modern period? Presumably we would need a POD pretty early on, like the colonial empires being more religiously driven. Or maybe something else I haven't thought of.

Thoughts?

 

[Fabius Maximus]

I many respects, this is OTL. Africa, for example, went from having around 9 million Christians in 1900 to 380 million in 2000; China, if current trends continue, is projected to become the world's largest Christian country by 2050; Russian Orthodoxy seems to be bouncing back in a big way after the end of the Soviet Union. There are other examples, too, but those are the ones I could recall off the top of my head.

 

[Darzin]

If the Taiping rebellion succeeds we'll see a mass conversion to Taiping style Christianity.

 

[funnyhat]

I many respects, this is OTL. Africa, for example, went from having around 9 million Christians in 1900 to 380 million in 2000; China, if current trends continue, is projected to become the world's largest Christian country by 2050; Russian Orthodoxy seems to be bouncing back in a big way after the end of the Soviet Union. There are other examples, too, but those are the ones I could recall off the top of my head.

Also Christianity in Korea, evangelical Protestantism in Latin America, and Mormonism (less than 200 years old and has like 12 million believers).

 

[Albert.Nik]

Buddhism and Old Vedic religion revived in India could qualify.

 

[Dolan]

Buddhism and Old Vedic religion revived in India could qualify.

There's a reason why Buddhism end up declining in India, Hinduism just accept Buddha as 9th reincarnation of the God Vishnu and declare his teachings are yet another valid way to achieve enlightenment, which ironically end up with most abandoning Buddhism in favor of traditional Hinduism.

Current Day Hinduism is the natural evolution of Vedic-era religion, it is very unlikely for it to evolve backward.

 

[Modern Imperialism]

Does demographics changes in the population count? Like more successful settler colonies. Africa could have a much higher Christian population without ww1. More Europeans will settle there and more Africans will convert to some sect of Christianity at higher rates then otl. Central Asia might be majority Orthodox/Russian with a surviving empire. Maybe the Caucasus too. French Indonesia will be more Catholic with longer French rule and no communism. Greek Catholic Church probably grows in Eastern Europe especially in Austria-Hungary. More Christians in Indonesia. British Malaysia could become majority Chinese changing the religion demographics there. Asia in general would have more Christians.

 

[Max Sinister]

Does conversion from one brand of Xtianity to another one count?

 

[Urcea]

Austria wins big against the Turks in the 1690s and roll into the Balkans. You’d probably have a Catholic Bosnia at the least

 

[Albert.Nik]

There's a reason why Buddhism end up declining in India, Hinduism just accept Buddha as 9th reincarnation of the God Vishnu and declare his teachings are yet another valid way to achieve enlightenment, which ironically end up with most abandoning Buddhism in favor of traditional Hinduism.

Current Day Hinduism is the natural evolution of Vedic-era religion, it is very unlikely for it to evolve backward.

Buddhism is seen by many as a more scientific,logical and a reformed branch of Hinduism itself so I could see significant possibility of many Hindus converting to a constructed Neo-Buddhism during the relatively stable and conducive British era for these things.

As for Historical Vedic religion,Classical Hinduism(today followed) is subconsciously despised for its emphasis on Caste system and intense superstitions and the call to revive the Rig-Vedic era traditions and Norms,when Caste was flexible and the religious concepts were logical and near-scientific run strong. I could see this possibility again in an ATL stable years of the British era.

 

[funnyhat]

Does demographics changes in the population count? Like more successful settler colonies. Africa could have a much higher Christian population without ww1. More Europeans will settle there and more Africans will convert to some sect of Christianity at higher rates then otl.

I don't think Africa was ever going to attract many European settlers (other than South Africa). But Africans did convert to Christianity in very large numbers OTL. Today, it is (with a few exceptions) the main religion in Africa south of the Sahel.

 

[Masked Grizzly]

While they did not have a policy of mass religious conversions, perhaps an earlier/longer Sikh Empire?

 

[Albert.Nik]

While they did not have a policy of mass religious conversions, perhaps an earlier/longer Sikh Empire?

Sikhism is actually a Purpose built religion. It was built as a Military religion to contain the fall of North Indian Hindu regions to Islamic aggression and it was actually purposed to be a Hindu version of Islam and Islamic version of Hinduism so as to attract the Afghans,etc who were at the borders of Punjab and threatened it quite much. However,it's original purpose to actually Indianize and absorb the Muslims is said to have failed but it is said that the Militaristic Sikh religion helped immensely to prevent the fall of swatches of Mainland Interior Hindu India to the Afghans(Durrani?) who were very aggressive then and also are said to have a bad Human rights record against other religions. So in one way it succeeded and it failed in an another way. However,you couldn't just convert into it like you do into Christianity or Islam. It was quite complex than that from what I know.

 

[Modern Imperialism]

I don't think Africa was ever going to attract many European settlers (other than South Africa). But Africans did convert to Christianity in very large numbers OTL. Today, it is (with a few exceptions) the main religion in Africa south of the Sahel.

Wouldn’t longer European domination of Africa and the world mean even more conversion and instilling of Christianity into various regions? Also wouldn’t that limit the expansion of Islam greatly?

 

[Modern Imperialism]

Sikhism is actually a Purpose built religion. It was built as a Military religion to contain the fall of North Indian Hindu regions to Islamic aggression and it was actually purposed to be a Hindu version of Islam and Islamic version of Hinduism so as to attract the Afghans,etc who were at the borders of Punjab and threatened it quite much. However,it's original purpose to actually Indianize and absorb the Muslims is said to have failed but it is said that the Militaristic Sikh religion helped immensely to prevent the fall of swatches of Mainland Interior Hindu India to the Afghans(Durrani?) who were very aggressive then and also are said to have a bad Human rights record against other religions. So in one way it succeeded and it failed in an another way. However,you couldn't just convert into it like you do into Christianity or Islam. It was quite complex than that from what I know.

Afghan not being tolerant of other faiths is very believable considering modern history

 

[Albert.Nik]

Afghan not being tolerant of other faiths is very believable considering modern history

I was actually quite unsure about this if it was Afghans or somebody else who threatened India that time that the Sikhism was formed and that's why I have put it as unsure. However,I checked the Wikipedia later and confirmed that it was Afghans. Durrani in general have a very bad record AFAIK. Even Kashmiris were tormented by them.

 

[kholieken]

Accusing religion as purpose-built is a bit much. Sikhism didn't even have military nature until Guru Gobind Singh after long Mughal repression and martyrdom of later guru. First Guru 'Nanak Dev' is rather pacifism and had lots of Muslim and Hindu followers.

 

[Albert.Nik]

Accusing religion as purpose-built is a bit much. Sikhism didn't even have military nature until Guru Gobind Singh after long Mughal repression and martyrdom of later guru. First Guru 'Nanak Dev' is rather pacifism and had lots of Muslim and Hindu followers.

So where did I "Accuse"?

 

[ArchimedesCircle]

How about the Taiping winning and converting hundreds of millions to the their God Worshipping Society?

 

[Byzantion]

Afghan not being tolerant of other faiths is very believable considering modern history

A converting of Nuristani people from old Vedic faith didn't happen after 1896.