Is it possible that Christianity could not take hold in Rome, but still takes hold somewhere else and is successful there? Europe remains a mangled mess of different Pagan religions, while in another part of the world (the Middle East? Africa? Asia?) Christianity spreads like wildfire?
Christianity fails in Rome, succeeds somewhere else?
- Thread starter Emperor-of-New-Zealand
- Start date
Without becoming the official Church of the Empire, it just might disappear along with the myriad of Mystery religions. Zorastrianism and Hinduism might take its place.
Well, it's certainly possible for it to spread along the trade routes into India like Islam and it would probably jive well with local culture.
Not what I'm looking for though. I'm envisioning a world where Christianity still thrives in numerous different countries, but just not so much in Europe (although some places in Europe is fine - just not dominantly).
This sounds closer to what I'm looking for. Could Christianity spread among the regions that became Muslim in OTL? Central Asia and the Middle East?
True, but that's OTL, which again doesn't really answer the question. What directions would it spread from Armenia in an ATL if Rome and other parts of Europe were completely hostile to it in the long run?
Even if the Roman empire had not accepted Christianity as its official religion, it would still be an important element in the empire, as around 10 per cent of the population were Christians at the time of the Constantine. It had been around for some centuries and it did not look like it would disappear easily. If it was more systematically persecuted, I assume that more Christians would try to escape from the areas controlled by the empire, which might lead to it becoming stronger outside the areas controlled by Rome.
Benevolent
Banned
Eh. South of highland Ethiopia it'd be impossible to not only establish but outlast Islamic attacks and acquisition.
If Islam was butterflied away than certainly all of Africa could be a reservoir.
Benevolent
Banned
The only issue would then be battling out the various African Jewish communities from Sudan to Morocco.
It depends when and how Christianity fails exactly. Christianity is still likely to be large religion in the Eastern half of the Empire. It could be that Christianization is reversed, but the East might still have a large Christian population.
If Rome decides to persecute Christians, we might see Christians fleeing to Armenia (possibly already being Christian, and Persia). This could therefore also mean a larger amount of Christians in Mesopotamia (already being Christian-majority in OTL in Sassanid times). It could also spread to Arabia. Chrisitianity and Judaism were relatively popular in Arabia. I am unsure if a Pagan Roman Empire would lessen Chrisianitys influence in Arabia or strenghtening it. The association of Christianity with the Roman Empire had both advantages (trade) and disadvantages (the Persians didnt like it)
Ethiopia might still end up as a Christian state.
If Rome decides to persecute Christians, we might see Christians fleeing to Armenia (possibly already being Christian, and Persia). This could therefore also mean a larger amount of Christians in Mesopotamia (already being Christian-majority in OTL in Sassanid times). It could also spread to Arabia. Chrisitianity and Judaism were relatively popular in Arabia. I am unsure if a Pagan Roman Empire would lessen Chrisianitys influence in Arabia or strenghtening it. The association of Christianity with the Roman Empire had both advantages (trade) and disadvantages (the Persians didnt like it)
Ethiopia might still end up as a Christian state.
If you change such an important factor as the Roman empire becoming officially Christian, Islam would of course be butterflied away.
Well, that certainly fits the OP. So, let's suggest a continued persecution of Christians within the Western Empire at least. Roman Paganism prevails, and Christianity spreads throughout the Middle East and perhaps into East Africa.
Now, how would this change the face of the Migration Period, if at all? With Christianity ebbing away at Persia and into Central Asia, would it have a profound affect on the Pagans who swept into Europe? Would we still see Germanic or Norse Paganism in Central and Northern Europe, or is it likely that these groups would see some Christianisation before the migrations started?
Nope, no Germanic Christians in the migration period.
That doesn`t mean that we`d still have Germanic or Norse Paganism today. After Germanics came Avars and Slavs, then various Turks and Mongols. And even if there`s no Islam, Romano-Berbers might move into Hispania and further.
Perhaps another proselytising religion which IOTL never came into existence pops up and spreads all across Europe.
Or some sort of pan-European synthesis emerges, which absorbs Germanic (and perhaps also Baltic and Slavic) paganisms into Greco-Roman and other Mediterranean ones.
Deleted member 67076
Many of the earliest Christian populations were in Persian Mesopotamia fleeing Roman Persecution. I could see some of the local noblemen and satraps converting to bolster their support amongst the local peoples, and grant their administration an extra hand with trained church clerics.
From then, one or more of the major clans might adopt it, and then the ruling dynasty.
Yes but they were primarily Assyrian. They carried it eastward into India and a few millennia and change later we got Flocc.
Deleted member 67076
Now when has the state ever failed in coopting something hip and radical for their own purposes?