Why didn't Christianity spread east fast?

[Nyatalia]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

 

[Lycurgus89]

Nestorians came to Tang dynasty China, and they may have been received in Japan, but they probably only lasted for a century or two in China. I think several hurdles included the Gobi, the Hindu Kush, just how dangerous the road was whether by land or sea, and the deep presence of Vedanta, Mazdayasna, Buddhism, and indigenous religions. The Mediterranean world was in spiritual and political turmoil at the time of Christianity's emergence. Jacob Burkhardt's "The Age of Constantine the Great" is partly available for free in google books, if you want to know what Christianity was up against in a decrepit Roman world.

 

[thecolorsblend]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

Christian religion spread to the Romans in pretty short order. That made its wider acceptance in Roman society easier. Plus, there was immediacy to the main facts of Christianity. The big events of the New Testament occurred in Roman territory. The Romans probably had at least a passing familiarity with what Christians believed.

Now, I don't consider myself to be an expert on ancient China circa the first century. But I would imagine that while the ancient Chinese may have had friendly relations with Rome, they didn't really care what the Romans believed or didn't believe. They had their own empire and I don't think they paid much attention to what went on in Rome. And I must confess a certain amount of ignorance as well in that I am not aware of a major evangelistic push toward China by Christians during the first few centuries AD.

However, Christianity spread fairly well through Middle East. More than you might think. About as well as any missionary religion could back in those times. The creation of Islam, however, made the continued spread of Christianity a practical impossibility after a certain point. I've read some conspiracy theories that Islam as a religion was created to be a militant resistance to Christianity that the Roman Empire simply could not provide after about the middle of the second century. Basically, Islam was intended to succeed where Rome failed in attacking Christianity.

 

[DebbieJ]

Transportation.

 

[Hammster]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

The Holy Spirit.

 

[jacks]

Transportation.

Yes I think proximity would have a lot to do with it. Travel was much harder back then. China/India was a long ways away! According to THIS some of the first missionarys to China was around 535 AD.

 

[Lycurgus89]

The Holy Spirit didn't want to convert India, Persia, or China?

 

[buzuxi02]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

Christianity spread within the Roman Empire where the major cities and colonies also spoke Greek. This combination of being within one empire with an international language made it possible to travel and preach quickly. Secondly from the king of Ethiopia (Aksum Kingdom), the Armenian leaders along with the conversion of the emperor of the Romans meant these three were able to convert their subjects from the top down. (Fact is converting entire kingdoms from the bottom up has never worked with no historical examples ever, much to the chagrin of missionaries).

 

[Radagast]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

Nestorian Christianity did indeed spread east very fast. However, in most places it didn't last.

 

[DebbieJ]

Yes I think proximity would have a lot to do with it. Travel was much harder back then. China/India was a long ways away! According to THIS some of the first missionarys to China was around 535 AD.

People walked, rode on horses, camels, and donkeys. This is so slow. We now have the internet.

 

[dzheremi]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

What are you talking about? It started in the Middle East, and was present basically everywhere to some degree before the Arabs perverted by the Muhammadian virus showed up (and in many places, for quite a while afterwards -- e.g., Syriac Orthodox were present in what is now Afghanistan up until around the 14th century, and Armenians until the 17th). St. Thomas went to India in 52 AD. It did take longer to get to China, but was there by 635 AD, as evidenced by the Xi'an Stele. Christianity was practiced among the Mongols for about 600 years before it mostly disappeared. In some clans it had remained quite strong among the royalty even after the people had largely switched over to Islam or something else, like in the case of the Keraites (Doquz Khatun, the consort of Hulagu Khan, remained a Nestorian for her entire life, even after Hulagu himself converted to Buddhism).

 

[Hank77]

As of 2011, most Armenians are Christians (94.8%)[1] and are members of Armenia's own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in the 1st century AD, and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a state religion.

We have friends who came to the US as children from Armenia. I didn't know anything about Christianity there until we met them.

 

[buzuxi02]

As of 2011, most Armenians are Christians (94.8%)[1] and are members of Armenia's own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in the 1st century AD, and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a state religion.

We have friends who came to the US as children from Armenia. I didn't know anything about Christianity there until we met them.

Armenia and Ethiopia were the first nation's to convert en masse. Again because their leaders had converted and their subjects followed suit Before that the small kingdom of Osreone with it's capital in Edessa converted to Christianity under King Abgar IX.
People think entire nation's and kingdoms and tribes are converted by missionaries preaching to random households for hundreds of continuous years until everyone becomes convinced. No it happens when the community's tribal leader/king converts and leads his people to it.
You can also do it through conquering or by making political allegiances where your influenced by the customs and cultures of the ally (that's how South Korea adopted presbyterianism, from the U. S.)

 

[Paul4JC]

Maybe they didn't obey the Lord's command, Mat 28:19 NIV - 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Apostle Thomas went to India (Malabar) modern Kerala, which has more Christians than most any other part of India.


The further out you go from Jerusalem, the less witness there was by numbers and density of populations. More witness more converts, less witness less converts.

 

[JohnDB]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

In a word...
Afghanistan.
India had a few Christians...
But the Himilayan mountains stopped the people.

And for whatever reason north and south wasn't a problem...all the way into Africa...

But otherwise it goes west... Always west as prophecy has predicted.
China is coming...no matter what the Communist party wants.
Originally the communists won...threw all the Christians on Taiwan...that hasn't worked out so well for mainland China.

 

[Nithavela]

It converts rome in less than 300 years. Why was it much less successful in middle east, middle east,india and china?

It was successful in rome because the roman emperor converted and foisted the religion on his subjects. Religions always prosper when those in power use them as a tool of control.

 

[Jok]

People walked, rode on horses, camels, and donkeys. This is so slow. We now have the internet.

I think I’ll choose the simple life back then! I can’t take the information overload today, I don’t think I fit in 2020 lol

 

[DebbieJ]

I think I’ll choose the simple life back then! I can’t take the information overload today, I don’t think I fit in 2020 lol

Same here. Life was simple back then. I love horses.

 

[Nithavela]

I think I’ll choose the simple life back then! I can’t take the information overload today, I don’t think I fit in 2020 lol

Same here. Life was simple back then. I love horses.

Life was also brutal, short and poor for anyone except the highest nobility.

 

[Andrewn]

Nestorians came to Tang dynasty China, and they may have been received in Japan, but they probably only lasted for a century or two in China. I think several hurdles included the Gobi, the Hindu Kush, just how dangerous the road was whether by land or sea, and the deep presence of Vedanta, Mazdayasna, Buddhism, and indigenous religions.

I believe that syncretism with Christianity helped in the development of oriental traditions like Pure Land Buddhism and Dvaita Vedanta (The bhakti movements devoted to Krishna became prominent in India in the 7th to 9th centuries AD).

But this syncretism, in addition to persecution by the Mongols resulted in decline of Christianity in the East.