Comparative Essay 3   Diffusion of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam from their origins to 1450 (Compare 2 of the 3)   Thesis MUST include a valid SIMILARITY and a valid DIFFERENCE

Similarities 1 BC: Spread by missionaries BC: Appealed to women and lower classes BC: Persecuted by governments/empires (Rome with Nero & Tang/Song) BCI: Spread on trade routes (Silk Road and Indian Ocean Trade)

Similarities 2 BI: Had to compete with already established religion like Hinduism in India CI: Both arose in the region of Southwest Asia BC: Both are ultimately supplanted as the major religion in the place where they began. Buddhism by Hinduism and Christianity by Islam

Differences 1 - Buddhism Spread to Asia: India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand) Had to compete with already established religion Confucianism in China Mixed with other religions: creating Neo-Confucianism

Differences 2 - Christianity Jesus’s 12 disciples spread after his death with the help of Paul Adopted by Roman Emperor Constantine and people under empire converted Holy Roman Empire, Byzantine, England, France, Spain Christianity supported by king –allowing people to freely practice the religion

Differences 3 - Christianity Spread to Western Europe Powerful Catholic Church during the Middle Ages helped spread & convert those in Europe Crusades fought other religions to maintain control

Differences 4 - Islam Spread from Arabian Peninsula to Southwest Asia, Persia, Indian subcontinent, North Africa, and East Africa Spread through military conquest and economic contact

Differences 5 - Islam Significant conversions of the Turkic tribes in Central Asia and peoples living in regions south of the Sahara in Africa occurred through contact with Muslim traders active in the area Remains the dominant religion in the place where it arose

Third Direct Comparisons Examples (specifics of the similarity or difference) Ashoka converted to Buddhism and Constantine converted to Christianity, allowing the people! In their kingdom to do the same (the second part of this sentence, starting at “allowing” would also be considered analysis).

Third Direct Comparisons Examples (specifics of the similarity or difference) Christianity had a split in 1054 between the Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Church, causing division in their followers whereas Buddhism did not have as strict of a hierarchy maintaining their basic beliefs nor did Buddhism have an official division of the faith. OR Christianity had a split in 1054 between the Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Church, causing division in their followers and, in a similar manner, Islam split over the issue of the succession to the Prophet into the Sunni and Shia branches.

Third Direct Comparisons Examples (specifics of the similarity or difference) Bodhisattvas helped teach about Buddhism, much like Jesus’s disciples taught others about Christianity.

Analysis of Similarity or Difference WHY they are the same or different?