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¿Cómo el Cristianismo se Convirtió en la Religión más Extendida? Documental

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Overview

The documentary argues that Christianity’s rise to become the world’s most widely practiced religion was driven by a combination of:

  • Early apostolic missions
  • Imperial/state adoption
  • Theological institutions
  • Repeated waves of expansion—often following political and military change

Origins and Early Spread (1st–2nd Centuries)

Christianity begins with Jesus of Nazareth (accepted historically for his life and crucifixion; resurrection/divinity presented as matters of faith).

Key drivers of early growth include:

  • Apostolic missions, followed by acceleration through Paul
  • After a vision on the road to Damascus, Paul spreads the “good news” across the Mediterranean

The documentary also mentions traditions such as:

  • Mark founding a church in Alexandria (associated with Coptic Orthodox origins)
  • Thomas establishing communities in India—noted as disputed due to limited evidence

By about 100 CE, the four Gospels are described as being completed, forming the basis of later Christian teaching.

Institutional Consolidation Amid Conflict (3rd–5th Centuries)

Christianity expands across the Roman Empire despite persecution.

Major turning points include:

  • Constantine, with a described vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
  • The Edict of Milan (313), legalizing Christianity
  • The Council of Nicaea (325), presented as a major organizational and doctrinal milestone:
    • ~300 bishops
    • establishment of the Nicene Creed

The documentary emphasizes that Christianity is also fragmented, with major disputes focused on:

  • The nature of Christ
  • Christ’s relationship to God
  • The Trinity

Regional Expansion in Africa and Reforms in Rome

Christianity spreads south into Africa, including claims that:

  • The kingdom of Aksum adopts Christianity and helps give rise to the Ethiopian Church

The Theodosius era is described as codifying “orthodox” belief in law.

Christianization is portrayed as involving churches replacing or destroying older pagan worship, followed by later persecution of “pagans.” Conversions, however, are not always uniform—some invading groups (e.g., Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals) initially adopt Arianism.

Missionary Expansion Across Europe, Plus Early Global Reach

The documentary highlights translations and missions such as:

  • Jerome’s Vulgate (~405)

It traces conversions across Europe, including:

  • Patrick in Ireland
  • Clovis/Frankish conversion under the Franks
  • Monastic missions in Scotland (e.g., Iona)
  • England’s conversion linked to Pope Gregory and Augustine of Canterbury

It also notes early Christian outreach to:

  • China (including Alopen) and Tang-era tolerance/edict
  • A theological blending with local terminology

Islamic Conquests and Christian Endurance

After the rise of Islam, the documentary says Arab conquests:

  • Take major Christian holy sites, including Jerusalem
  • Reach Iberia by 720

Despite many rulers imposing second-class status on Christians, Christian communities persist.

Schism and Crusading Politics (11th–13th Centuries)

A major internal fracture occurs in 1054:

  • The Great Schism splits:
    • Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople)
    • from Western Catholic Church (Rome)

External pressure from the Seljuk Turks is cited as a reason Pope Urban II calls the:

  • First Crusade (1095)—promising forgiveness and aiming to recover the Holy Land

The documentary states that while crusader states are briefly established, most fall to Muslim neighbors within about two centuries. It also notes continued crusades and expansion successes in the Iberian Peninsula.

Further Expansion Through Eurasia and the “Third Rome” Idea

Later missions reach China again, including:

  • John of Montecorvino, described as a bishop in Beijing

It also references the conversion of Lithuania.

After 1453, when Ottoman Turks take Constantinople, the documentary describes how the:

  • Russian Orthodox Church frames Moscow as the “third Rome,” with a duty to protect Orthodox Christians

Age of Discovery and Colonial-Era Christian Expansion (15th–18th Centuries)

European sea exploration and conquest are linked to global Christianization.

The documentary describes early Portuguese and Spanish conversions (including Congo and Spain’s Reconquista and links to Columbus), while emphasizing:

  • Papal permission systems (notably Alexander VI’s bull)
  • The Treaty of Tordesillas partitioning the Americas

Missionary follow-through is presented as part of the same imperial logic.

In New Spain and across regions like Peru and Brazil, Christianity is expanded through:

  • Conversion efforts
  • Suppression of indigenous religions

It explicitly connects this era to the transatlantic slave trade, stating Christianity spread in Africa partly as a byproduct of that system.

Reformation and New Christian Denominations

In 1517, Martin Luther sparks the Protestant Reformation, challenging Catholic practices and perceived corruption.

The documentary notes:

  • Protestantism spreads rapidly, supported in part by new printing technology
  • Political adoption by rulers
  • England’s split from Rome under Henry VIII, forming the Church of England

Christianity is depicted as diversifying into many denominations, including:

  • Calvinists, Lutherans, Baptists, Anabaptists
  • Moravians, Anglicans, Presbyterians

Catholicism remains dominant overall.

Christianity in Asia, North America, and the Pacific

Missions continue in Asia, including:

  • Francis Xavier
  • Work in Goa, Indonesia, and Japan

In North America:

  • Protestant coastal colonies (including Puritans) pursue religious freedom and community-building
  • Translation efforts are mentioned, such as a Massachusetts-language Bible
  • By the late 17th century, Christianity is described as established across much of North America

During the Great Awakening, revival movements emphasize:

  • Scripture
  • Personal salvation

Christianity also spreads to Australia, Eastern Polynesia, and New Zealand through missionaries.

19th-Century Missions, Backlash, and Rapid Growth

The documentary frames the 1800s as an era of “heroic missionaries,” highlighting figures such as:

  • David Livingstone
  • missionaries in Burma and Nigeria

It also mentions tensions in India, with resentment contributing to the:

  • 1857 uprising

Korea’s Christianization is linked to missionaries arriving in the 1880s, with growth to a large share of the population over time.

20th-Century Colonial Legacy, Resistance, and Communism

During Africa’s colonial partition (late 1800s to 1914), European powers bring Christianity with them.

In China:

  • Early resistance and the Boxer Rebellion are highlighted (thousands of Christian deaths)
  • Despite this, the documentary claims post-1900 missionary work leads to millions of converts by 1945

Communism is described as a major threat:

  • Soviet and other communist governments suppress churches
  • The documentary claims Christian communities re-emerge after communist collapse and persist under regulation, even in China today

Final Conclusion (Global Impact)

Over nearly 2,000 years, the documentary attributes Christianity’s global reach to repeated cycles of:

Missionary activity, institutional organization, political adoption, conquest, and adaptation to local conditions

It concludes that today there are about 2.3 billion Christians—nearly a third of the world’s population—practicing in almost every country.

Presenters / Contributors (as credited in the subtitles)

  • Narration/host: Epic History (channel)
  • Consultant: Professor David Parnel (Indiana University–Northwest)
  • Patreon supporters mentioned: Lee Young, Richard Blakeny Williams, Bren 55, Vince Mo, Tim Salt, Chris Fry, Noa S

Original video