Description
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Rise Of Christianity, The by Rodney Stark
It is a widely accepted notion that Christianity started as a clandestine movement among the poor. Yet this 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 this fastpaced highly readable book Rodney Stark brings a sociologists perspective to bear on the puzzle behind the success of early Christianity. Not only does Stark have years of experience with the logic and methods of social science but he also provides insights into why people convert and how new religious groups recruit members. The Rise of Christianity digs deep into the historical evidence to provide a vivid and unconventional account of early Christianity.
Rodney Stark professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington is widely recognized as one of the premier contemporary sociologists of religion. He is the coauthor of The Churching of America 17761990 with Roger Finke and A Theory of Religion with William Sims Bainbridge. He lives in Seattle WA.
A provocative insightful challenging account of the rise of Christianity.
Andrew M. Greeley National Opinion Research Center University of Chicago