Two of the most important faiths are Islam and Christianity. their spread has effected many topographic points throughout the universe. Throughout the old ages these faiths have had significant impact on the class of history. There are many things likewise and different between the spread of Islam in Africa and the spread of Christianity in Europe.

During the first two centuries of the being of each faith there were cardinal differences between the enlargement of Christianity and that of Islam. despite early similarities in the manner they spread. Christianity existed several centuries prior to the birth of Islam. and by the clip Muhammad founded Islam in the Middle East. Christianity had moved its centre to Europe. where it had steadfastly established itself as the official faith. But Christianity originally sprouted in the Middle East after Christ’s Resurrection in A. D. 30. The church began in Jerusalem and the environing country. and it ab initio preached the Gospel merely to the Jews. It grew rather quickly for a time—in fact. the book of Acts records the transition of 3000 Jews in a individual. extraordinary twenty-four hours.

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During this early period. nevertheless. Christianity did non spread out far beyond Jerusalem and its locality. That would shortly alter. After the first few old ages of comparative peace for the church. a awful persecution broke out following the lapidation of Stephen. Judaic leaders hunted down the followings of Jesus and threw them into prison. At this clip many in the church scattered to the environing countryside of Judea and Samaria. Christianity’s world-wide enlargement was get downing ( Nosotro 1 ) .

When Islam was founded about 550 old ages subsequently. around the beginning of the 7th century. its initial experience was strikingly similar to the early experience of the Christian church. In 610 A. D. Muhammad claimed that he received disclosures from God that called him to prophesy a new faith called Islam. At foremost he began to make so in secret. but after three old ages he found the bravery to proclaim his new religion publically and gained a turning figure of followings.

However. his monotheistic message was non good received by many in his polytheistic metropolis. where people were used to gaining from heathen pilgrims. As a consequence. the early Muslim converts faced persecution. merely as the early Christians had. Islam’s growing was limited during this clip. and it did non distribute far beyond Mecca. Finally the torment forced Muhammad to go forth Mecca. so he fled to Medina. Here he gathered many converts who became his hawkish followings. As with the early Christian church. hence. persecution caused the first important spread of Islam ( Goddard 128 ) .

The histories of Christian and Muslim enlargement. nevertheless. lost much of their similarity after the points of their initial scatterings caused by persecution. Christians. for illustration. by and large established new churches in metropoliss. meaning that the Gospel would spread into the countryside from at that place. But this made the spread of Christianity during the first two centuries an basically urban phenomenon. and it became an urban faith. In contrast. Arabia had really few metropoliss. so Islam spread largely through small towns and rural countries. Another contrast was that the Christian church continued to confront persecution throughout its first two centuries. and yet it continued to turn. On the other manus. persecution against Muslims had basically ended by the clip Muhammad died. Many such differentiations made the spread of Christianity and the spread of Islam highly different ( Hutchinson 122 ) .

Possibly the most important difference between the first two centuries of the enlargement of Christianity and Islam was between the methods used to distribute their messages. These methods stemmed from the beliefs of each faith. Their contrasting attitudes caused Christians and Muslims to travel about transition in different manners. During their first two centuries. Christians did non coerce their faith on others but relied on missionaries. sermon. and taking godly lives to pull people to the one true God. Muslims. on the other manus. did non trust entirely on prophesying to distribute their faith—they turned besides to the blade. While it is true that many did change over volitionally to Islam. the Muslims besides conquered huge countries of land in the Middle East and Northern Africa during the 7th and 8th centuries. When they attacked or occupied new district. they gave its dwellers three options: convert to Islam. pay a particular revenue enhancement. or dice. Under these fortunes many chose to pay the revenue enhancement. and many others chose to change over to Islam ( Nosotro 1 ) .

The differing methods of enlargement really helped find the country each faith would cover as it spread. Christians during the first two centuries traveled from metropolis to metropolis in the Roman Empire. taking advantage of the first-class Roman roads. As a consequence. the first two centuries saw the Gospel spread chiefly in Roman district. although it was besides carried to some other countries. including Ethiopia and possibly even India. By the twelvemonth 200 A. D. . Christian communities existed throughout the Middle East and Turkey. and there were several in Greece and Italy every bit good. Islam. nevertheless. spread from Saudi Arabia and conquered most of the Middle East and North Africa.

Moslems even extended themselves into the Iberian Peninsula and pressed north. about making Paris before Charles Martel checked their progress by get the better ofing them at the Battle of Tours in 732. Because Islam advanced by force. it met with ill will and opposition in Europe. where Christianity was already strong. But in other countries. such as Egypt and Syria. it was accepted readily by people who had been populating under suppressive regulation. As a consequence of its method of enlargement Islam could non distribute far north into Europe but remained in the district South of Europe alternatively ( Neander 224 ) .

Clearly. the first two centuries of Christian enlargement differed greatly from Islam’s foremost two centuries of enlargement. in malice of some early similarities. Although the spread of both faiths was ab initio sparked by persecution. they went about distributing their messages in really different ways. As a consequence of Christianity’s trust on missionaries. it spread chiefly in the Roman Empire. Since Islam used force to spread out its district. it could non spread out far into Europe because it met military resistance. Alternatively it engulfed most of the Middle East and North Africa. Even today the Markss of Christianity and Islam can be seen in the countries where they foremost spread. After its first two centuries of enlargement. Christianity finally became the official faith of the Roman Empire. and it deeply influenced the development of Europe and of the Americas. Islam still remains dominant in much of the Middle East and North Africa where it one time created an imperium ( Nosotro 5 ) .

In the get downing these two faiths started on the same way of enlargement. But their enlargements began to differ more and more throughout the old ages. The spread of Islam has greatly influenced Africa. Likewise. Christianity had a great influence on Europe. Both these faiths have. and will go on to hold. major effects throughout history.

Work Cited

Goddard. Hugh. Christians and Muslims. New York: Routledge. 1995.

Hutchinson. Paul. The Spread of Christianity. Boston: Abingdon Press. 1922.

Neander. Augustus. General History of the Christian Religion and Church. Boston: Crocker & A ; Brewster. 1854.

Nosotro. Rita. “The Spread of Christianity and Islam” . April 07. 2008 hypertext transfer protocol: //www. hyperhistory. net/apwh/essays/comp/cw11christislamexpand. htm.

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