World history - Essay Example

evangelistic path as does Christianity, and as does Islam, although Judaism holds that all people of the world still have the choice through Judaism to answer God’s call (220). Still, it is the pursuit of an evangelistic philosophy in the practice of Christianity and Islam that has allowed for the expansion of those religions into areas beyond their ethnic and geographical originations. Therefore, this paper will focus on the cultural and political expansion of Islam and Christianity in a world that is quickly moving towards a world unity and community by comparing and contrasting the role of each in historical and modern terms.

The Book of Christianity is the New Testament, and the religion arises out of the belief that Jesus Christ was born the son of God unto man and surrendered His own life through crucifixion thereby becoming the salvation of mankind (273-343). The birth of Jesus fulfills “the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the home of David the great king, and in the lineage of David (275).” It is held that the Jesus was conceived of the Virgin Mary, his mother, by the Holy Spirit, and that, according to the New Testament Book of Luke, His birth was announced to poor shepherds by angels, who arrived at the place of his birth to celebrate the birth of the Messiah (275).

However, according to the New Testament Book of Matthew, Zoroastrian Magi arrived to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, bringing “symbolic gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, confirming his kingship and his adoration by Gentiles (275).” The child, Jesus, grew to young adulthood and traveled about teaching his followers that it was more important to accumulate spiritual treasures, than earthly treasures; otherwise, those acts of humanity such as kindness, love, truth and faith (278).

In addition to defining the morality of man, Jesus performed miracles that helped convince people that He was in fact empowered by God to bring