In what ways was the missionary message of Christianity shaped by the cultures of Asian and American peoples?

History shows that Christianity started in the Asian continent given that Jesus lived in Palestine. During its early development, Christianity had its strongest presence in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey. In the 1260s, the great Kublai Khan requested 100 religious teachers to be sent to his territory by the Pope in Rome. The message was delivered through the Marco Polo's family. However, only two friars were sent. Due to their fear of war, they...

History shows that Christianity started in the Asian continent given that Jesus lived in Palestine. During its early development, Christianity had its strongest presence in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey. In the 1260s, the great Kublai Khan requested 100 religious teachers to be sent to his territory by the Pope in Rome. The message was delivered through the Marco Polo's family. However, only two friars were sent. Due to their fear of war, they failed to reach their destination. It was only much later that Christianity attempted again to make inroads in China. However, this was difficult and the Christian missionaries were forced to adapt their messages to be in line with Confucianism, which was the dominant religion.

Thomas the Apostle introduced Christianity in India. The people were much more accepting mostly, because of the similarities between the religion and their existing cultures. The message of love, peace and tolerance was well accepted by the people in India, especially in Malabar. It is important to note that one of the greatest challenges to Christianity in India was the caste system, which made it difficult for the religion to appeal to the different social groups.

Spanish colonization of the Americas and the entry of the Europeans in North America led to the spread of Christianity in America. The indigenous communities in the Americas were composed of warring communities. Missionaries tailored their message to include offers of protection for the different communities they approached. They also offered gifts to the community leaders as a means of endearing themselves to the communities.

The Christian missionary message was thus, shaped by the different experiences the early missionaries had during their expedition in different territories and continents. The different types of missionaries employed a blend of native culture to teach Christianity while others employed persuasion to spread their religion.