Most likely alternate major world religions?

  • Several other cults could gain prevalence in Rome during and after the Crisis of the 3rd Century, replacing Christianity but having a similar path through history. I'd say that the strongest of these options is likely a Cult of Isis that integrates neoplatonism, providing both the intellectual stimulus and popular appeal that made Christianity so popular and influential.
I've heard the claim for the Cult of Isis before, but can you go into how it would have wide appeal outside of Egypt? It seems more regional and for another religion to truly take on a role similar to Christianity in the empire it needs a universalist character
 

Philip

Donor
I sometimes wonder if a stronger and wider Arian Christianity might have butterflied away the rise of Islam. Islam actually has some elements with Arianism though IIRC Arianism still believes in the Trinity (feel free to correct me). Heck, maybe Muhammad would have been seen as an Arian "saint" of sorts (or "heretic" on the flip side of the coin!), rather than a founder of a totally "new" religion.

Arianism is not compatible with Islam. Arianism asserted that the Logos is worthy of worship despite being a creation separate in essence from God. This seems to be in direct conflict with Muhammad's most basic principles.
 
Certainly, but it would have a huge amount of variations globally. The Manichaeism found in late Yuan China doesn't appear much like the Manichaeism found in Late Antiquity.
Thats not as big a problem as it might appear.
Manichaeism seemingly borrowed very heavily from Buddhism in both its structure and prosletysm. Its ability to absorb "good deities" and "bad deities" into the respective pantheons of gods.
 
I've heard the claim for the Cult of Isis before, but can you go into how it would have wide appeal outside of Egypt? It seems more regional and for another religion to truly take on a role similar to Christianity in the empire it needs a universalist character

The cult was very much popular in Rome and the Greek parts of the Empire--there had been at least some Hellenic knowledge of Isis as early as the 8th century BCE and shrines to Isis were set up in Rome in the 1st century BCE before gaining more prominence with the incorporation of Egypt to the Empire. By the 3rd century CE it had spread throughout the Empire from there and had gained acceptance both as a popular faith and among the intelligentsia as evidenced by the works of Apuleius particularly the Metamorphoses (Asinus Aureus). IMO the reason Sol Invictus and later Christianity gained prevalence over it was essentially the conflict with Zenobia of Palmyra who could all to easily be associated with the deity...however, a longer lived Odenathus or similar POD would remove that issue and allow Isis worship to continue to flourish.
 
Had Julian the Apostate been successful, could the Roman religion (and probably other pagan religions) rise to compete with Christianity?

Other than that, I think a good POD would be Islam expanding elsewhere instead of into the Levant and Persia. No Islamic conquest of Persia means Zoroastrianism remains a major religion there, while the steppe could convert to several possible different religions.
 
Arianism is not compatible with Islam. Arianism asserted that the Logos is worthy of worship despite being a creation separate in essence from God. This seems to be in direct conflict with Muhammad's most basic principles.

Thanks for the clarification on Arianism, much appreciated. Still, like I said if the POD is a stronger Arianism in Arabia, perhaps Muhammad would be more influenced by Arianism (whereas in OTL, it seems Muhammad is influenced by Unitarian (sorta) Christians and Jews, hence Islam's non-Trinity stance on God. His first wife's cousin is a Christian priest and one of the first people he consulted after his first "revelation").

Other than that, I think a good POD would be Islam expanding elsewhere instead of into the Levant and Persia.

Maybe Islam more successful in the Indian subcontinent (and from there, South East Asia)? It might more resemble OTL Christianity, having more adherents outside of the Middle East, being a minority religion in its place of origin (perhaps the Hajj in this alternate Islam is performed at some shrine in India instead of Mecca which is now held by adherents of other religion(s)).
 
I've been developing a modernized version of Aztec polytheism--called Teotlism, from a central concept of the historical Aztec religion--for my ASB ATL which could apply here, but it might not qualify as a "major world religion" depending on how we're defining that. computer troubles mean I can't copy-paste what I have on Teotlism from the Word document I have in, but the gist is that it's mostly the same except for the addition of a few new deities, including Dios, (from the Christian God, using the Spanish name; this actually has OTL precedent, as the Tlaxcallans adopted "Dios" into their pantheon as just another god when they allied with the Spanish) and the identification of a few indigenous deities with others--such as Tonatzin, a mother goddess, being identified with Mary based in part on the Virgin of Guadalupe, and, more originally, Quetzalcoatl is considered to be one and the same with Jesus by some Teotlists as well as Aztec Christians--and they actually no longer practice human sacrifice, which is replaced by animal sacrifice (also based on actual history) and blood sacrifice which, in personal prayer, often amounts to pricking one's finger and using that in the ritual.
 
and they actually no longer practice human sacrifice, which is replaced by animal sacrifice (also based on actual history) and blood sacrifice which, in personal prayer, often amounts to pricking one's finger and using that in the ritual.

This actually sounds interesting. If you solved your computer troubles, would love to see you expand more on these ideas!
 
This actually sounds interesting. If you solved your computer troubles, would love to see you expand more on these ideas!
I've mentioned it a few times elsewhere on the board--you could search for my posts containing "Aztec", "Aztecs", or "Teotlism" if you want to find some more right now, but I can't say anything on how up-to-date anything you'd find on that is. I could also take my external harddrive with me to the library tomorrow and get on one of the computers there to access the respective document and post some then (i'm using my laptop right now, it's functioning well enough for the time being, but none of the programs I normally use are installed anymore; on top of that, the version of Word that I had before was digital-only so I can't just reinstall that one)
 
at a library computer now. i'll post what i have on Teotlism in the Word doc verbatim, with a little explanation. one important thing to know going into this is that i've been writing alot of parallels to pan-Asian culture into the modern Aztecs as a whole (originally it was just accidental, noticing some interesting similarities such as both having the Moon Rabbit, but now it's mostly deliberate) so don't be surprised if mention of that comes up in these notes
on the perception of Teotlism on the world scale compared to the Aztec religion IOTL said:
there is a large priesthood and the Aztec religion is very important to their society and culture, but because Teotlism is considered a “normal” religion due to being mainstream (if still a minority on the world scale, in contrast to the Abrahamic religions) the Teotlist gods aren’t considered monstrous as they’re usually rendered more positively by neutral sources (as opposed to inherently biased sources such as racists or radical fundamentalists)
on Quetzalcoatl said:
  • Quetzalcohuātl is the most widely-recognized Aztec deity, worshipped by almost all sects of Teotlism (sometimes under different names, such as the Mayan K’uk’ulkan, similar to the various cult names used by some Ancient Roman deities) and even indirectly by Aztec Christians who mostly believe that Jesus and Quetzalcohuātl are one and the same; the more mainstream nature of Teotlism also means that Quetzalcohuātl is more frequently recognized as denying human sacrifice, though other cultures mistake him for wanting such in the same way that Hádēs is cast as being evil simply because was the god of the underworld
  • Quetzalcohuātl has received two generalized interpretations as an analogy to other religions: he is either considered one and the same with Christ because of his stance against human sacrifice and as a culture hero, or he is identified with other polytheist gods who are also associated with the morning star, including the Greek Phosphorus, the Slavic Zorja Utrennjaja, and (less positively) even with Lucifer
  • in addition to Quetzalcohuātl being identified with Jesus, he’s also sometimes identified with Lucifer since they’re both compared to the Morning Star; this is extended further where other gods of the Morning Star are identified with him, or alternatively there’s a work of internal fiction where the Morning Star (Venus) is the setting and the main character is Sirius (also called the Morning Star) and all the supporting characters are Morning Stars from mythology and religion
  • sacrifices to Quetzalcohuātl are comprised entirely of purpose-bred birds and butterflies; in honor of this, the most devoted worshippers of Quetzalcohuātl often take on a strict diet of these animals—though with caterpillars in place of butterflies—for protein, often erroneously called “Aztec vegan” by the less-informed, and this diet may be associated with Aztec Christians in particular due to the identification of Quetzalcohuātl with Jesus, and may be what’s allowed for Lent in Ānāhuac
on Teotlist temple construction said:
most or all Teotlist temples are constructed from stone, at least in the area of Ancient Ānāhuac and those that weren’t retrofitted from other buildings
on Aztlan (note: the modern Aztec country is called Anahuac; the historical one is consistently "Aztec Triple Alliance") said:
some radical Teotlists believe that Aztlān, the legendary ancestral home of the Aztecs and other Nahua peoples, is a state or being or a metaphorical location comparable to Nirvāṇa or Paradise, while others use it in place of the Garden of Eden and similar mythological places
on false gods and idolatry said:
some sects of Teotlism take the authenticity of deities very seriously because they generally see themselves as having been conquered because a man impersonated/was mistaken for Quetzalcohuātl; paradoxically, polytheist Teotlism is more accepting of (interpretations of) foreign gods and considers them synonymous with their own similar to how the Celts, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans of Antiquity perceived each other’s deities; in general, Teotlism has adopted Abrahamic attitudes towards false idols, though more in the vein of Islam than Christianity with some the most radicalized Teotlist fundamentalists taking the Taliban’s stance of banning television and photography because their religion forbids using human and animal figure for worship
on equivalency and identification with other religions (sans Quetzalcoatl) said:
the Ehecatotontli are often compared to the Greek Anemoi, the personifications of the wind—Cihuatecayotl with Zephyrus, Huitztlampaehecatl with Notos, Mictlanpachecatl with Boreas, and Tlalocayotl with Eurus; by extension, each of them are also identified with other personifications of the west, south, north, and east winds
on Dios (the Teotlist interpretation of the Abrahamic God said:
  • from Christianity, some sects recognize the Christian God as a god of mercy and benevolence by the name Dios, (the Spanish for God) who notably doesn’t demand sacrifices like many other Aztec gods; going further, others believe that Quetzalcohuātl and Jesus are one and the same, specifically holding that Jesus traveled to Ancient Ānāhuac after the Resurrection and introduced himself as Quetzalcohuātl in a convergence with Mormonism—many Aztec artists and writers draw further (though usually unfounded) parallels between the two, such as portraying Jesus as wearing feathered clothing or placing Quetzalcohuātl in manners and situations often associated with Christ
  • in addition to going by the name Dios, the Abrahamic God in Teotlism could also identified with both Ometecuhtli and Ueueteotl, two of the most overarching and all-encompassing gods—the former in particular, as a dualistic entity, matches well with the two interpretations of God from the Old and New Testament as a righteous avenger of the Hebrew people and as the all-loving benevolent deity of Christianity
on calendars said:
from other Mesoamerican beliefs, Teotlism draws on the Ancient Mayan belief that the universe was created in 18,940 BC with the first sun, followed by the second sun in 13,364 BC, the third sun in 8240 BC, the fourth sun in 3314 BC, and the fifth sun in 2012 along with the belief that the universe will come to an end on October 12 4772
it didn't come up in the search of the document for "Teotlism", but the other important thing to keep in mind here is that the 2012 phenomena doesn't occur in the same way as IOTL in part because the peoples who originally came up with it are essentially still around ITTL and there's no confusion that "turning of an age" actually means "end of the world"; the day is instead marked by the biggest national celebration in this history of Anahuac
on sacrificial rituals said:
  • human sacrifice played an important role in pre-Columbian Aztec culture, (and many other Mesoamerican cultures, for that matter) and in a very broad sense was conducted because they believed that, if the gods weren’t given these sacrifices, then the Sun wouldn’t rise and the world would end; following the Spanish Conquest, human sacrifice was outlawed but continued in secret for about a century before finally dying out (though it’s rumored, with no concrete evidence, that some Teotlist sects still practice it) and Mesoamerican culture and religion was radically affected by this; the specifics of human sacrifice in Aztec culture include:
    • the Aztecs originally only sacrificed their own people, but eventually began sacrificing war captives from other nations (who were treated as honorable martyrs because they contributed to the survival of the Sun); the sacrifice of fellow Aztecs continued, but not on as great a scale—it’s thought that, after the establishment of the Aztecs’ hegemony, the honor in being a sacrifice was at least partly lip service to justify their assertion of dominance in the region
    • based on historical human sacrifices by the Aztecs, and in contrast to the typical Western perceptions of such rituals, (ex: a “family friendly” human sacrifice in media would be a young maiden being thrown into a volcano) most symbolic sacrifices in Teotlism use men while women are reserved for certain occasions, except in Teotlist sects drawn from other Mesoamerican cultures which did sacrifice women more frequently
    • several Mayan sacrificial practices were adopted into Teotlist doctrine, namely:
      • their preference of sacrificing rival rulers and nobility rather than random people was translated into Teotlism as the pool of volunteers for “sacrifice” being drawn from the pipiltzin and politicians in the Mayan regions of Ānāhuac
      • gestures and movements in symbolic sacrifices are directed at the head rather than the heart, as the historical Mayans preferred decapitating sacrifices rather than cutting out their hearts; furthermore, symbolic sacrifices in the Mayan sects of Teotlism are often followed by a community game
      • sacrifices in historical Mayan rituals were marked with blue dye, which is reflected in Mayan Teotlism by all volunteers to symbolic sacrifices either being covered in blue dye (for traditionalists; it often involves stripping them down almost entirely) or wearing blue clothes (for more conservative or prudish sects, and almost always for high-level public “sacrifices” following the imposition of Western morality)
    • in general, Teotlist rituals which required human sacrifice before the Spanish Conquest now generally use either animal sacrifice (which was permitted by the Spanish colonial government immediately following the Conquest as a means of placating the Aztecs) or, increasingly commonly, are given a proxy by ritual bloodletting, which has traditionally been done by skewering the tongue or penis with obsidian blades, stingray spines, or shark teeth and collecting the blood on paper which is then burned, but it’s since become more common to create incisions in the skin away from major veins and arteries and wiping paper or cloth across them to collect the blood before burning it—the exact place cut depends on region and sect, with traditionalist Aztec sects making the incision over the heart while Mayan sects cut at the neck, though personal rituals conducted by an individual in their own homes or outside of major ceremonies in temples is most often done by simply pricking or slicing one’s finger(s) or palm
      • sects devoted to Quetzalcohuātl forego ritual bloodletting entirely (because he was one of the only Mesoamerican gods to not demand or require human sacrifices) and exclusively sacrifice purpose-bred birds and butterflies, as these animals had historically come to be used as sacrifices to him
    • historically, the priests of Xīpe Totēc (eastern god of life, death, and rebirth) would flay sacrifices to him alive and wear their skin as part of the ritual (as a note, the sacrifices would be treated to several days of lavish feasting and sex prior to this); while this flaying practice is no longer practiced, Xīpe Totēc’s priests often utilize relics made of donated human skin for their rituals, and the highest-ranking priest of Xīpe Totēc wears an entire outfit of donated skin for major rituals and meetings with other priests
  • since Aztec offerings to the gods were originally of red cactus fruits (that is, the fruit of the prickly pear) symbolizing the heart rather than actually the heart, Teotlism could bring this back as part of the return to symbolic sacrifice; this could be extrapolated to a different fruit being used for different rituals, or possible have some connection to Christianity because of that religion’s influences in Aztec culture, or it could still only be cactus fruit
on the underworld and afterlife said:
  • there is a general belief in Teotlism that the dead go to the Underworld, the name of which depends on region or dialect—the Aztecs call it Mictlan, the Mayans use Xibalba, the Tzapotēcah used Lyobaa, and so on, though in Anglish it’s usually rendered as Hell (Aztec Christians consider all these underworlds described in Mesoamerican belief to be one and the same with the Christian Hell as the destination of sinners after death, though lacking the fire and brimstone so heavily associated with it, and believe that it’s divided into tunnels or caverns instead of Circles based on literature developed during the Aztec Renaissance, or otherwise that it resembles the Buddhist hells); similar to some geographic locations being identified with an entrance to the Underworld, {{including but not limited to the Acheron, (which shares a name with one of the rivers in the Greek underworld) Lake Avernus, (considered an entrance to the Underworld by the Romans and used as such in The Aeneid) Fēngdū Guǐ Chéng, (in China) Hekla, (in Iceland) Houska Castle, (north of Prague) Lacus Curtius in the Roman Forum, Masaya Volcano, (in OTL’s Nicaragua) Cape Matapan, (in Greece) Mount Osore, (in Japan) the Ploutonion at Hierapolis, the Seven Gates of Hell, (in Pennsylvania) St. Patrick’s Purgatory, and the cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula (heavily associated with the afterlife by the Mayans—the Sacred Cenote near Chichén Itzá in particular was believed to be an entrance to Xibalba)}} the site of Mictla (which is often called “the Aztec Necropolis” in Anglish) and the Xibalba cave are considered earthly entrances to the Teotlist Underworld, though artistically it’s frequently identified with the Milky Way itself, which is considered the road to the afterlife; the gods of death and the afterlife in Teotlism include:
    • Chlamecacihuilt
    • Cihuacóatl, who plays a role in honoring women who died in childbirth
    • Hun-Came and Vucub-Came, the two rulers of Xibalba in old Mayan belief; the other eight Lords of Xibalba are sometimes identified with the Princes of Hell from Christian belief; together, the Lords of Xibalba are often considered to have the role of punishing wicked Teotlists after they die with Xibalba as a close analogue to the Christian Hell while Mictlan is more like the Elysian Fields from Greek mythology as the destination of the righteous dead
    • Mictecacihuatl, who presides of festivals of the dead as wife of Mictlantecuhtli
    • Mictlantecuhtli, also known as Acolmiztli, Acolnahucatl, or Chalmecatl, was one of the principal gods among the Aztecs and is considered King of the Dead, analogous to the likes of Osiris as the ruler of the afterlife but not one who inflicts punishments on the dead
    • Xolotl, a psychopomp who assists the dead in their four-year journeys to the afterlife similar to Anubis from Egyptian mythology
miscellaneous said:
  • from Western religion in general, the Aztecs were introduced to the concept of fervor, heresy, redemption, and theocracy, which have become part of modern Teotlism in altered forms
  • Teotlism in general has a panentheistic view of the world and their religion, considering Ometeotl, the “Lord of Duality,” to be the underlying unity of the universe that is expressed in every aspect of existence—even in opposites such as light and dark—though most Teotlists maintain polytheistic beliefs, paralleling Hinduism in this respect; Teotlist morality is centered on establishing a balanced life and providing stability to a shifting world
  • Aztec priests take on the names of whatever deity they conduct services for and, generally speaking, are obligated to behave as though they were that god, (or at least how their modern society perceives that god) and, for example, a priest of Quetzalcohuātl would speak out against radical behavior if for no other reason than as a Devil’s Advocate (or perhaps more similarly to the “tenth man” principle {{apparently based on the Beth Din dismissing a case in the event of a unanimous guilty verdict because such a decision is extremely suspect, and possibly on an intelligence section of the Israeli Defense Force which deliberately doubts all likely scenarios and devises alternative theories for the same reasons}} from World War Z where, if nine out of ten officials assigned to examine a situation all agree on something then the tenth has to disagree and examine other possibilities so that all their bases are covered in the event of a worst-case scenario); this means that there are a good number of Aztec priestesses of equal importance to many male priests and, similarly to the controversies surrounding molestation by Catholic officials, Aztec priests are often shamed for not acting as they gods they are meant to emulate
  • national religious festivals and other ceremonies are overseen by either the Tlahtoāni or the Cihuācōātl depending on the season: the Tlahtoāni presides over them during the dry season from October to April and the Cihuācōātl from May to September in the wet season
  • similar to the general reaction of the medieval Norse to Christianity, the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans in the era surrounding the Spanish Conquest would often convert to Christianity if they were shown a miracle—even if the miracle itself was actually faked—but these “conversions” usually amounting more to incorporating the Christian God into their pantheon rather than actually abandoning their old gods, which is the origin of some Teotlist sects recognizing him as Dios; during this period, secret Teotlists (before Teotlism was actually formed or recognized as a religion) would wear pendants of their patron god much like how Norse pagans would secretly wear pendants of Thor’s hammer during the Christianization of Scandinavia—many ethnic Aztecs would wear pendants of Huītzilōpōchtli, the sun god and patron of the Aztecs, while worshippers of Quetzalcohuātl eventually came to style theirs after the caduceus, the staff of Mercury which, coincidentally, features two snakes and feathered wings
  • according to Maya religion, the Sun was escorted through the sky by soldiers who died in battle, mothers who died in childbirth, and by sacrificial victims; this is a common motif in Teotlist imagery, often used similarly to the sun chariot which frequently appears in Old World mythologies, and is almost always featured very prominently in temples of Huītzilōpōchtli, the sun god
  • the Aztecs held that, beyond the world and the gods, there was a supreme creator named Ometecuhtli, a dualistic being, but most of them considered Ueueteotl, personified as the fire in their hearths, as the absolute oldest god
  • the Aztecs believed that there were thirteen domed heavens circulated around the Pole Star, the pivot of the universe—there was for each of the visible planets + the sun, moon, clouds, lightning, heat, and rain, and all of these in turn were contained under a dome of fixed stars, and there were nine underworlds under the face surface of the earth
 

samcster94

Banned
Manichaeism.
And yes, zoroastrianism is that easy.
Paganism in Europe is doable, but less likely.
And judaism is close enough anyway, isn't it?
I think the first two are the best candidates. Judaism has a shot, but it'd have to act more like Christianity or Islam. Shinto is ASB at having a shot anywhere.
 
How about some form of Voodoo/West African traditional religion? Like other suggestions it would require some more unified religious movement and/or leadership than in OTL. This could be dominant in a West Africa more resistant to Christianity and Islam, and also have followers among the African-descended peoples in the New World.
 
Shinto is ASB at having a shot anywhere.

Shinto as we know it wouldn't work, but I think it could be the basis for a more evangelical religion with a few different twists of history.

I think we could universalize the following for Shintoism, an evangelical religion based off of Shinto:

For gods, worship of a few principle kami such as Ameterasu acting as the litmus test for "are you Shintoist"; lesser gods would, on the other hand, be highly localized, allowing converts to merge their indigenous pantheons into Shintoism.

Focus on ritual purity/impurity, rather than on sin or karma; the focus of rites aimed at restoring purity are held at shrines in the Japanese style, which are of course run by:

A ritual priesthood, perhaps beholden to the Emperor of Japan who in this alternate history fulfills a role more akin to the Pope of Europe, i.e. holding a religious power which is deeply intertwined with, but ultimately separate from, temporal political power which is held mostly by the Shogun or perhaps a foreign power that has conquered Japan.

Where might Shintoism have spread? Perhaps a Korea conquered during the Imjin War, were the Shogun is seen as a vile oppressor but the Emperor and his priests as a bulwark against Shogunate domination. Perhaps Shinto priests sent to a conquering Mongol Khan by a subjugated Japan will develop Shintoism and spread it throughout the Mongol Empire; perhaps Shintoism, and the need to honor the gods and allow the rites of purification to take place will be adopted by an alt-Chinook Empire who conquers the Pacific Northwest and adds the unique woodwork of the Pacific Northwest people to Japanese-inspired shrines.
 
How about some form of Voodoo/West African traditional religion? Like other suggestions it would require some more unified religious movement and/or leadership than in OTL. This could be dominant in a West Africa more resistant to Christianity and Islam, and also have followers among the African-descended peoples in the New World.

I think a lot of people have made the argument that religious practice directly lifted from West African traditions is quite more widespread than an official census might state, with Islam and Christianity in a lot of places-including the Americas-being only a thin veneer over traditional religions.
 
Heck, maybe Muhammad would have been seen as an Arian "saint" of sorts (or "heretic" on the flip side of the coin!), rather than a founder of a totally "new" religion. So this "alternate Islam" instead is a sect of Arian Christianity that began in Arabia, founded by "Saint Muhammad" (or, to opposing sects, the heretic Muhammad!).

Initial Byzantine response to Islam was to view it as simply another Christian sect. Muhammad himself did not believe he was founding a new religion. He believed he was simply continuing the same faith as Abraham, and all the other prophets before, including Moses and Jesus.

The idea of "Islam" and "Muslims" is a later invention. That term wasn't even used at the time. They simply called themselves Muminin - "believers".
 

samcster94

Banned
Shinto as we know it wouldn't work, but I think it could be the basis for a more evangelical religion with a few different twists of history.

I think we could universalize the following for Shintoism, an evangelical religion based off of Shinto:

For gods, worship of a few principle kami such as Ameterasu acting as the litmus test for "are you Shintoist"; lesser gods would, on the other hand, be highly localized, allowing converts to merge their indigenous pantheons into Shintoism.

Focus on ritual purity/impurity, rather than on sin or karma; the focus of rites aimed at restoring purity are held at shrines in the Japanese style, which are of course run by:

A ritual priesthood, perhaps beholden to the Emperor of Japan who in this alternate history fulfills a role more akin to the Pope of Europe, i.e. holding a religious power which is deeply intertwined with, but ultimately separate from, temporal political power which is held mostly by the Shogun or perhaps a foreign power that has conquered Japan.

Where might Shintoism have spread? Perhaps a Korea conquered during the Imjin War, were the Shogun is seen as a vile oppressor but the Emperor and his priests as a bulwark against Shogunate domination. Perhaps Shinto priests sent to a conquering Mongol Khan by a subjugated Japan will develop Shintoism and spread it throughout the Mongol Empire; perhaps Shintoism, and the need to honor the gods and allow the rites of purification to take place will be adopted by an alt-Chinook Empire who conquers the Pacific Northwest and adds the unique woodwork of the Pacific Northwest people to Japanese-inspired shrines.
The Imjin War always seems to read like a medieval Korean War.
 
Initial Byzantine response to Islam was to view it as simply another Christian sect. Muhammad himself did not believe he was founding a new religion. He believed he was simply continuing the same faith as Abraham, and all the other prophets before, including Moses and Jesus.

The idea of "Islam" and "Muslims" is a later invention. That term wasn't even used at the time. They simply called themselves Muminin - "believers".
The idea that it was a sect came from ignorance, if we believe that the main precepts of Islam were the same up to the Arab conquests of Persia then it is indisputable that the Byzantines, knowing the actual beliefs of Islam, wouldn't call it Christian as it rejects the Trinity, divinity of Jesus among other things(accepting Jesus as a prophet is not really a compromise)

If the beliefs were differentiated only later on then I guess it would make sense, but frankly I can't think the theory the Quran was made up after-the-fact is a supported theory.
 
If the aftermath of the French Revolution goes a little different, there could be the cult of reason or the cult of the supreme being taking of:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being?wprov=sfla1


Ok that's all I have.
for the same TL as Teotlism i mentioned above, i figured that, in TTL's France, both the Cult of Reason and the Cult of the Supreme Being also make comebacks in what is essentially a continuing Napoleonic France, (the idea being that Napoleon doesn't crown himself Emperor and instead goes on being Consul, giving himself and Revolutionary France more legitimacy, ultimately meaning that France "wins" the ensuing Coalition Wars--not the Napoleonic Wars and France never becomes a monarchy again) most popular with French socialists as successors of the Jacobins on the concept that it was a good idea in principle but just poorly-executed by Robespierre, with the Cult of Reason being the more common of the two and both becoming more and more deistic over time. it's part of a general pattern i'm making of TTL's France having many more Republican/Revolutionary trappings than IOTL.
 
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