Leseprobe
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The Rise of Christianity
Rodney Stark
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Geisteswissenschaften, Kunst, Musik / Allgemeines, Lexika
Beschreibung
A landmark reinterpretation of why Christianity became the dominant faith of the West
The idea that Christianity started as a clandestine movement among the poor is a widely accepted notion. Yet it is one of many myths that must be discarded if we are to understand just how a tiny messianic movement on the edge of the Roman Empire became the dominant faith of Western civilization. In a fast-paced, highly readable book that addresses beliefs as well as historical facts, Rodney Stark brings a sociologist's perspective to bear on the puzzle behind the success of early Christianity. He comes equipped not only with the logic and methods of social science but also with insights gathered firsthand into why people convert and how new religious groups recruit members. He digs deep into the historical evidence on many issues—such as the social background of converts, the mission to the Jews, the status of women in the church, the role of martyrdom—to provide a vivid and unconventional account of early Christianity.
The author plots the most plausible curve of Christian growth from the year 40 to 300. By the time of Constantine, Christianity had become a considerable force, with growth patterns very similar to those of modern-day successful religious movements. An unusual number of Christian converts, for example, came from the educated, cosmopolitan classes. Because it offered a new perspective on familiar concepts and was not linked to ethnicity, Christianity had a large following among persons seeking to assimilate into the dominant culture, mainly Hellenized Jews. The oversupply of women in Christian communities—due partly to the respect and protection they received—led to intermarriages with pagans, hence more conversions, and to a high fertility rate. Stark points out, too, the role played by selflessness and faith. Amidst the epidemics, fires, and other disasters that beleaguered Greco-Roman cities, Christian communities were a stronghold of mutual aid, which resulted in a survival rate far greater than that of the pagans. In the meantime, voluntary martyrdom, especially a generation after the death of Christ, reinforced the commitment of the Christian rank and file. What Stark ultimately offers is a multifaceted portrait of early Christianity, one that appeals to practical reasoning, historical curiosity, and personal reflection.
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Early Christianity, Christian values, Paul the Apostle, Congregational church, Conversion of the Jews, Heresy in Christianity, Persecution of Christians, Jesus movement, Lutheranism, Christianity in Egypt, Religious conversion, Jewish Christian, Fall of the Western Roman Empire, Rate of natural increase, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Christianization, Christian Identity, Christian scripture, New Testament, Baptists, Christianity, Origins of Christianity, Deacon, The gospel, Christianity and Judaism, The Rise of Christianity, Christian monasticism, Church Growth, United Church of Christ, American Society of Church History, Triumphalism, Religious organization, Martyr, Methodism, Sect, Jews, Christian martyrs, Protestantism, Judaism, Theology, Pauline Christianity, Christian, Apostolic Constitutions, Greco-Roman world, Paganism, British Empire, Fertility, Christian burial, Eternal life (Christianity), Church Fathers, Minister (Christianity), Mormons, Saint Peter, Christian theology, Marcion of Sinope, Spread of Christianity, Scientology, Conversion to Judaism, Religion, Christian Science, John Chrysostom, Peter and Paul, Theophrastus, Christian mission, New religious movement, Edict of Toleration (Hawaii), The Christian Community, Constantine the Great and Christianity, Conversion to Christianity, Mormonism