To us, the evolution of the major western religions began with Judaism, which created Christianity, which influenced the creation of Islam.  The similarities between these three groups were enough for the Muslims to recognize the Jews and Christians as people of the Book.  Roughly speaking, this meant that although they had different practices, their God was the same.  The Western Religions in this TL are similar, but not identical, in this way.

    Judaism is very similar to our own version.  It is a minor religion, its people spread across Europe and the Middle East.  Early in the first century AD, Judaism gave birth to many messiah religions, only one of which spread and did not die out within a few generations: Christianity, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.  This creation is like OTL, but soon diverges.

    History to us records that the work of Saul, later called Paul, resulted in Gentile conversion without following Jewish law.  Eventually, there would be a split, and the early Christians, such as Jesus’ brother James, would be lost to history.  Jewish law would not take part in Christianity.  The Pauline Christians, as they have been called, then were able to crush the Gnostic Christians, and rule supreme.

    That is not so in this world.  Here, in this Alternate World, Saul is unknown to historians.  He never existed, or died early in his life.  Christianity, minus the work of Paul, spread with support of Jewish law, which broke down the farther the followers were from Jerusalem.  In the East, where circumcision was common, Jewish Law was followed and the Christian movement was very close to other Jewish sects.  In the West, Jewish Law was mostly ignored, and in some areas there was a large amount of Christian-Jewish violence.

    Eventually, this caused a split in the church to happen, after the Roman Empire itself was split into East and West.  Claims of the Patriarch of Rome to be the head of the Church because it was St. Thomas, the first to acknowledge Jesus' divinity, that founded the Church in Rome, were resisted by the Patriarchs in the East.  Today, Orthodox Christianity is common only in the East.  It strictly follows Jewish law, and uses Hebrew in all ceremonies.  There is no head Patriarch of the Church, instead councils are regularly called of the Patriarchs of major cities.  Their conversion of the Slavs spread Orthodox Christianity throughout the Balkans and Russia.

    Rome became the center of western Christianity, called the Roman Messianic Church.  Founded by St. Thomas, it is a great supporter of Science in Europe.  Here, Jewish law is not followed, and ceremonies are given in the vernacular.  Only monks are required to be celibate.  It is this church that had spread across Western Europe when the Church was hit by the Reformation Movement.  But to have a real knowledge of Movement, you must know the events leading up to it.

    Philometes (210 A.D. to 285 A.D.) was a contemporary of Plotinus, like him, a native of Egypt who wrote and taught in Alexandria, and is the founder of one of the most important schools in Philosophy: The Investigation School.  Combined with the writings of Aristotle, this has been the foundation of Science for the Messianic Church.

    The Great Philosopher is unusual among his contemporaries for military service (he served six years on the German frontier as a legionnaire before being invalidated out after a German arrow caused the loss of his left foot), and it is unknown how much of this influenced his writing.

    His first major work, in 262 A.D.: _Investigations of the Zodiac_ is most useful for the final chapter (as the rest has been lost since the 14th century), in which Philometes suggests that the universe is organized in a circular pattern around the sun.  Many historians would attach the source of this to his Mithraism, but Philometes' impeccable research, including stellar maps that can still be used by paleo-astronomers, shows that he, in fact, drew his opinion from research.

    The final major work of his career directly attacked the ruling authorities of Science at the time.  Philometes animatedly pointed out the numerous easily demonstrable errors in older Greek texts, and suggested the only way to see the world was to: "Look", and moved on to suggest points that, while inaccurate in many respects, were the best thing that a naked eye observer could see in his era.

    Philometes might have been only a footnote in the history of Philosophy, much as Democritus was, a man who happened to be correct, except for his pupil Diomater. Diomater, author of several early works on Christian thought (it was he who secretly converted Philometes on the latter's deathbed in 285), was hired as a tutor by Constantine, a prominent Roman general (Diomater would be "in the closet" until the reign of Constantine, his pupil began). Constantine was raised as a firm believer in Investigation principles, and when he rose to the rank of Emperor, he converted the Empire to Christianity . . . and to Investigation.

    Rather oddly for a school of philosophy, the Investigation School encourages the examination and evaluation of _everything, life, the world, and even the tenets of the school itself.  One of the famous quotes on religion is,

        “. . . that speculation and investigation are a form of worship because they bring man to a closer understanding of God's creation.  Any differences between observations and revelation are only apparent: they need not be suppressed because the truth will be understood in God's time . . .”

    The Investigation school fits in extremely well with Christianity: Philometes' insistence on the absence of any divine interference in the affairs of men (Except for some very notable exceptions) and nature matches up extremely well with Christian philosophy.  It will be the teachings of Philometes that become the favorite philosophy of the church fathers, and it will be the monasteries of Christian Europe that carry forth his work.

    In the period 300-750 A.D., Investigation helps out with other matters:  St. Bede, a monk in the British Isles, has proved, after a lifetime of research, that the heavens aren't organized on a circular pattern, they are elliptical.  This discovery will ensure the use of lots of ovals in the great cathedrals of later centuries.  Investigation methods would also help with the Black Death.

    The invention of a small Steam Engine by Engineer Leonardo da Vinci brought forth the industrialization of Europe, and all the corruption that comes with it.  The Church often times preached in favor of the large industrial companies.  It was the task of Man to fulfill the destiny given to him by God to go out and take control of all things on Earth, including Earth herself, and use it for their advantage.

    Although converted to Christianity, Northern Europe had always remained Pagan in ideas at least.  Mother Earth was very respected, even honored.  Man was part of Nature, not against it.  Native Clergy often looked the other way concerning this matter, most of the time sharing the same opinions.  The industrialization of Europe was anathema to them.

    In 1520, the combination of the Papal corruption with the Industrial companies, and their attacks on Nature brought about a crack in the Church.  Michael Liber nailed a piece of paper on the door of the All Saints Church with his “One Hundred and One Theses” written on it.  The Reformation Movement had begun.

    For the past 80 years, wars have been fought because of this split.  Religious minorities have been expelled from their countries, and Clergy have started wars by urging their followers to strike at the opposing religion.  Like the Reformation movement of OTL, various sects broke away from the Catholic Church.  Some were crushed, and some survived.

    Lastly, in the Middle East and North Africa is a sect of Zoroastrianism, spread by the Persian Empire which expanded into the void left by the Roman Empire.  Although the Persian Empire would eventually fall from internal problems, the missionaries of this religion would convert the people of the Middle East and North Africa.

    To Be Continued?

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