[Avodah] ohr lagoyim

[Sholom Simon via Avodah]

R S Newman has posed the question in a provocatively interesting way.  Thanks!

Musing out loud, is it possible that the concept applies to 
Torah/Torah values in addition to its people?

For example, doesn't the Rambam offer that Xtianity and Islam, both 
"offshoots", if you will, of Judaism, have moved the world's 
population (at least partially, in the case of some part of Xtianity) 
away from A"Z?

As a second data point, R Jonathan Sacks often points out how many of 
the world's ideas are rooted in Torah  (e.g., equality (even the 
King!) before the law,  which, in turn, gave rise to (because it was 
a necessary pre-condition of) democracy, etc.).

-- Sholom