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

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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).

10. 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.

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

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