Alternate developments of Christianity and their profound effects on the World,then and now

[Albert.Nik]

I was thinking about what all are the possible developments of Christianity or if you want to call it like that,Christianity like religions.
Vedic rooted Christianity,Tengrist rooted Christianity,Iranian rooted Christianity(would be similar to Vedic one),Phoenician rooted Christianity(close to OTL Hebrew/Judaic one but not exactly),Neolithic Christianity?? Hurrian/Urartian Christianity,Sumerian Christianity,IVC Christianity,I can go on and on! How about an entire masala mix Monotheistic Christianity containing all these? How better (or if you intend,worse or even equal) would it be to OTL Christian civilization? Would Atheism and Irreligion have been softer and slower than OTL had there been a more diverse rooted one? Would science progress be faster even with Christianity throught the ages? These are some questions..

 

[Filo]

The more probable was the victory of Arianism and Monophisitism.
Leading respectively, to some sort of neo-paganism and an early version of Christlam(Christianity + Islam).
Think of a Monophisitic Christianity like a Islam with Christ in place of Muhammad

 

[Philip]

The more probable was the victory of Arianism and Monophisitism

You need an extremely early POD for (true) Arianism to triumph. If by Monophysitism you mean Miaphysitism, it has a decent chance. Eutychianism, however, would not.

Think of a Monophisitic Christianity like a Islam with Christ in place of Muhammad

Only do this if you want a completely incorrect idea of Monophysitism. Miaphysitism, what most people today mean by Monophysitism, is fully Nicene.

 

[Albert.Nik]

I also include other developments of Christianity *from* other religious concepts like I have mentioned instead of the OTL Hebrewic/Judaic versions. You can think of Hurrian,Mitanni,Iranian,Basque,Pheonecian,etc. How far you can stretch back the POD is given complete freedom. You can even take this into Hurrian and Hittite era during the Bronze age and on that likes as well.

 

[Philip]

I also include other developments of Christianity like other religious concepts like I have mentioned instead of the OTL Hebrewic/Judaic versions. You can think of Hurrian,Mitanni,Iranian,Basque,Pheonecian,etc

It's really not clear what you mean by this unless you are defining 'Christianity' as a major religion based on a member of another religion.

 

[Tanc49]

The more probable was the victory of Arianism and Monophisitism.
Leading respectively, to some sort of neo-paganism and an early version of Christlam(Christianity + Islam).
Think of a Monophisitic Christianity like a Islam with Christ in place of Muhammad

To be fair, Catholicism does ere quite a bit on the pagan side.
The Holy Trinity can be seen as entirely monotheistic if you squint, but the presence of Mary and the Saints is a bit tougher to justify in a purely Christian background, just like the cult of relics.
Of course, that's just the influence of converted people of pagan/Germanic persuasion.

For alternative, you can see the Confucean influenced christianity of the Jesuits in China. The cult of ancestors was not considered pagan, but honoring the memory as a secular act, while the cult of Heaven was easily transposed into the cult of the Christian God

 

[Albert.Nik]

It's really not clear what you mean by this unless you are defining 'Christianity' as a major religion based on a member of another religion.

Sorry it should be 'from' instead of like! Edited now.

 

[Philip]

but the presence of Mary and the Saints is a bit tougher to justify in a purely Christian background, just like the cult of relics.

I wonder what a 'purely Christian' background is if not Catholic-Orthodox?

Of course, that's just the influence of converted people of pagan/Germanic persuasion.

The cults of the saints predate the conversion of most of Germanics.

 

[Filo]

Only do this if you want a completely incorrect idea of Monophysitism. Miaphysitism, what most people today mean by Monophysitism, is fully Nicene.

We can assume that an Euthiche(is spelled that way in English?) victory can lead to a development of a different Christianity, that stressed much more the "one nature" thing.
I said monophisitism and not myaphistism, to exalt the non-Nicene and "heretical" part.

 

[Filo]

To be fair, Catholicism does ere quite a bit on the pagan side.
The Holy Trinity can be seen as entirely monotheistic if you squint, but the presence of Mary and the Saints is a bit tougher to justify in a purely Christian background, just like the cult of relics.
Of course, that's just the influence of converted people of pagan/Germanic persuasion.

Sorry double post, i haven't read this.
Catholicism is more "pagan" than, for exemple calvinism, but what i mean is a "real" trinity made of three gods.

 

[Tapirus Augustus]

To be fair, Catholicism does ere quite a bit on the pagan side.
The Holy Trinity can be seen as entirely monotheistic if you squint, but the presence of Mary and the Saints is a bit tougher to justify in a purely Christian background, just like the cult of relics.
Of course, that's just the influence of converted people of pagan/Germanic persuasion.

For alternative, you can see the Confucean influenced christianity of the Jesuits in China. The cult of ancestors was not considered pagan, but honoring the memory as a secular act, while the cult of Heaven was easily transposed into the cult of the Christian God

The veneration of Mary and the saints goes back to the very beginning of Christianity. It may have things in common with other religions, but it's every bit as much a part of Christian tradition as the eucharist.

 

[Byzantine fanatic]

The more probable was the victory of Arianism and Monophisitism.
Leading respectively, to some sort of neo-paganism and an early version of Christlam(Christianity + Islam).
Think of a Monophisitic Christianity like a Islam with Christ in place of Muhammad

That is a new word which has totally made my day.

Of course, the term "Christ" is not a name, but a title. In Christianity, Christ is a title for the saviour and redeemer who would bring salvation to the whole House of Israel. Meanwhile in Islam, Jesus is already considered a Muslim, since he is one of the accepted Prophets of Islam.

So "Christlam" kind of works, on some level. Islamic Jesus? Or perhaps "Islamianity" is the other way round, in which a version of Christianity emerges which has Islamic aspects.

As someone with members of my family belonging to both traditions (on different sides of the family), this concept has some appeal for me.

More seriously, one could get into a discussion around how the central message of both Islam and Christianity shares much in common, and how the two are best understood in a spirit of friendship and compassion. But that would probably be going beyond the remit of this thread.

In any case, the possible developments of historical Christianity were many. There are a number of books which were not included in the Bible for various reasons.

 

[Tanc49]

The veneration of Mary and the saints goes back to the very beginning of Christianity. It may have things in common with other religions, but it's every bit as much a part of Christian tradition as the eucharist.

Ah I agree that it's very much part of the canon and the tradition, no question of that, but if you go with "There is only one god", the cult is quite spread out.
I might have been mistaken on the Germanic influence though

 

[Artaxerxes]

Pelagius is accepted over Augustine, a more human forgiving aspect to Christianity without the original sin nonsense.

Failing that a wider exported Irish church, with an emphasis in monasticism and wandering penance embedding itself deeply in Northern Europe and rejecting the primacy of the Pope.

 

[Filo]

So "Christlam" kind of works, on some level. Islamic Jesus? Or perhaps "Islamianity" is the other way round, in which a version of Christianity emerges which has Islamic aspects.

Some historians belive that the early islam was a sort of arab version of Christianity(crossroads to Islam for exemple ), why not streassing this point and develope an alternate Christianity with a more "semitic" influence, respect of our own?

Alternatively a Christianity heavily influenced by Zoroastrians.

 

[Albert.Nik]

Some historians belive that the early islam was a sort of arab version of Christianity(crossroads to Islam for exemple ), why not streassing this point and develope an alternate Christianity with a more "semitic" influence, respect of our own?

Alternatively a Christianity heavily influenced by Zoroastrians.

From what I know,Christianity have influenced the making of Islam heavily. Prior to Islam,Middle East was dominated by Christians with Jews,Zoroastrians and Pagans sprinkled. Very less is known about the early Islam. Since it came from a desert in a tribal setting,not much has been recorded by others to give an idea.

 

[Tapirus Augustus]

Pelagius is accepted over Augustine, a more human forgiving aspect to Christianity without the original sin nonsense.

Failing that a wider exported Irish church, with an emphasis in monasticism and wandering penance embedding itself deeply in Northern Europe and rejecting the primacy of the Pope.

I rather doubt Pelagianism would have the real world effect that you suggest. Rather than a greater emphasis on forgiveness, I suspect there would be greatly increased pressure for people to live sinlessly and perfectly. Part of what original sin means is that you can's hold people's imperfections against them so much, since none of us have the hope of leading perfectly blameless lives. Original sin elevates charity and forgiveness, not the opposite.

 

[Albert.Nik]

A note: We want to discuss only historical aspects of the religion here. Not about want we personally think is right or not.