Why did the Norse, Roman, Greek, Pagan, Babylonian and Egyptian faiths cease to exist and why did the Abrahamic religions take over so quickly? Is it just to do with politics or was there a genuine change in people's views? And why of all the polytheistic faiths did Hinduism survive over the others?
Hey, new to reddit, new to askhistorians. If this doesn't fly, feel free to delete and accept my apologies.
According to my Western Civ History Professor (well-written) http://lsus.academia.edu/AlexanderMikaberidze The primary reason monotheism, specifically the Abrahamic religions were able to spread so fast and so far (in the infancy of the religious views) was due to the Roman road system.
More details, less sources (and some personal speculation) -
I would assume the conjunct reasoning involves personal appeal. You have 1 Deity, who is preached to care about you specifically, and has Disciples going everywhere "spreading the word", whereas the commonly understood attitudes of the polytheistic pantheons was "worship me or else". There was also an attitude of sweeping social reform around 140AD under Tiberius Gracchus that (again my speculation) would have primed the lower-class populace into acceptance of monotheism.
Constantine took over the empire around 307. By this time Christianity was more accepted among the elite of society, and he being the first Christian Roman Emperor did quite a bit to spread it further.
Post-Roman Empire there was a power vacuum which the Catholic Church stepped in to fill. Later, Charlemagne nailed shut the polytheism coffin with his empire building.