Gager 1975). There aren't many books that I've done that with (I can think of two others). Probably Paul and his followers would have lost the quarrel, except that a Jewish revolt intervened. The Rise of Christianity Book Review: The idea that Christianity started as a clandestine movement among the poor is a widely accepted notion. The rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark. Then they would disperse and meet later to eat. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 1 shall qualify this assumption at several later points in the chapter. He is frequently called "the Great" because of his successes as a general, administrator, and legisl…, THEODOSIUS (c. 347–395), Roman emperor (379–395). Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2020, Extremely useful background for any teacher/preacher. On the coins that Constantine minted, three-quarters of the symbols shown belong not to Christianity but to Sol Invictus, the "Unconquerable Sun." Christianity began with a group of Jews who followed the teachings of Jesus, a Jewish carpenter who attracted many followers during his three-year ministry which began in 30 c.e. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the legitimate uses of social scientific theories to reconstruct history in the absence of adequate information on what actually occurred. That welcome began to grow thin, however, and by the reign of Nero (54–68 c.e. must read it." At the beginning of the fourth century c.e. Having achieved such a rate and used it to project the number of Christians in various years, we can then test these projections against a variety of historical conclusions and estimates. Nartzalus: Today we shall be martyrs in heaven—thank God! Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. There was a problem loading your book clubs. on charges of heresy. ." Speratus: Any doctrine that teaches that we should commit murder or bear false witness—that would be evil. -- "Library Journal""This book raises, simply and brilliantly, just the kinds of questions anyone concerned with early Christianity should ask." In particular, it takes data and findings from two or three generations of classical and NT scholars and applies them to the Roman Empire and then, using contemporary sociological theory about the growth of religious movements, surmises how Christianity managed to grow. There are many good insights to be gleaned from this book, Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2017. Saturninus: If you are going to deride our sacred ceremonies, I shall not listen to you. Saturninus, the proconsul: [speaking to the others] Take no part in this business—it is madness. Although this book is about 20 years old, it still has new and arresting things to say. ADVERTISEMENTS: After reading this article you will learn about the rise of Christianity with the fall of Roman Empire. The Roman rule caused some conflicts and unrest in Judaea. -- Andrew M. Greeley, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago. The suppression of the revolt was delayed by Nero's dethronement and a year of civil war before Vespasian took over as emperor in 69 c.e. This book is not a work of theology. The title, The Rise of Christianity, that I eventually chose is, of course, that of Bishop E. W. Barnes's work, published in 1947. Please try again. Rather I serve the God whom no one has seen nor can see. Christianity began with a group of Jews who followed the teachings of Jesus, a Jewish carpenter who attracted many followers during his three-year ministry which began in 30 c.e. Therefore Pliny consulted the emperor Trajan to discover what course of action he should take regarding the Christian church and he received the following reply. . -- Kenneth Woodward, "Newsweek""Stark uses contemporary social-scientific data about why people join new religious movements and how religions recruit members to investigate the formative history of Christianity . -- "Publishers Weekly""Compelling reading . Start studying Rise of Christianity. He wrote to the emperor Trajan to report how he had handled the case, and his letter has survived. An exercise such as this could lead one to conclude that Stark is using sociology to disregard or dismiss the role of the divine nature of Christianity. The Temple was destroyed and its treasures taken to Rome as booty. Emperor Nevertheless, we must quantify--at least in terms of exploring the arithmetic of the possible--if we are to grasp the magnitude of the phenomenon that is to be explained. (And all the rest agreed with him.). Rome's machinery for enforcing its laws was always weak. there was another determined persecution, but by then Christianity was too powerful to be wiped out. Saturninus, the proconsul, to Speratus: Will you persist in remaining a Christian? I finished the book and then ordered seven copies to give to people who might find it interesting. Although the religion initially faltered after Jesus' death, reports that Jesus had risen from the dead bolstered the fledgling church in spite of its continued persecution by the Jewish religious leaders. "Compelling reading" (Library Journal) that is sure to "generate spirited argument" (Publishers Weekly), this account of Christianity's remarkable growth within the Roman Empire is the subject of much fanfare. Refer to each style’s convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. . No sacrilege is entailed in the search to understand human actions in human terms. Indeed, as Robert M. Grant pointed out, "one must always remember that figures in antiquity . The Christians suffered their first state persecution at this time, but there were more to follow. Sold by Bookworm_CT and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. The future of Christianity lay with the followers of Paul's teachings. on charges of heresy. This is a refreshing piece of scholarship. Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. An exercise such as this could lead one to conclude that Stark is using sociology to disregard or dismiss the role of the divine nature of Christianity. According to the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of St. Paul, there soon arose a division of opinion among the followers of Jesus. and died there two years later. Stark's provocative report challenges conventional wisdom and finds that Christianity's astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life. This fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won--for Jesus (Newsweek) is now available in paperback. The pagans were disheartened at the impotence of their god. In 111 c.e., a Roman named Pliny was governor of the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor, and encountered a cell of Christians. Swear, instead, by the genius of our Lord the emperor. The Rise of Christianity Christianity is one of the largest ancient religion in the world. Stark's provocative report challenges conventional wisdom and finds that Christianity's astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life. On July 17, when Calusian and Praesens were consuls, the latter for the second time, Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Secunda and Vestia were arraigned at Carthage in the court. Nor is this limited to antiquity. Unable to add item to List. These people are not to be hunted out; if they are brought before you and the charge against them is proved, they must be punished, but in the case of anyone who denies that he is a Christian, and makes it clear that he is not by offering prayers to our gods, he is to be pardoned as a result of his repentance however suspect his past conduct may be. Pierre Chuvin, A Chronicle of the Last Pagans (Cambridge, Mass. The emperor Decius (249–252 c.e.) If the law is repeated a number of times over a period of years, it can be assumed that there was widespread evasion. But when we were mistreated, we showed our thanks, because we reverence our own emperor. Saturninus, the proconsul: What do you have as the documents in your case? And this because I recognize my Lord, the king of kings, and emperor of all mankind. Trajan's answer was brief. Speratus: The sacred writings, and the epistles of a saint named Paul. The Rise of Christianity, is a book by the sociologist Rodney Stark, which examines the rise of Christianity, from a small movement in Galilee and Judea at the time of Jesus to the majority religion of the Roman Empire a few centuries later. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. For a starting number, Acts 1:14-15 suggests that several months after the Crucifixion there were 120 Christians. © 2019 Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. I have committed no theft. By the time of Constantine, Christianity had become a considerable force, with growth patterns very similar to those of modern-day successful religious movements. introduction: Pliny the Younger was a Roman litterateur and a gentleman of the governing class who was sent by the emperor Trajan to the province of Bithynia (in northwest Asia Minor) which had been misruled by its senatorial governors and needed someone to remedy the situation. 4. the failure of secular leadership and the rise of ecclesiastical leadership . They believed in Torah and were even prepared to exchange Jewish national independence for the survival of the Jewish people and the Torah, if need be. Saturninus, the proconsul: We Romans are also a religious people. The Early Middle Ages saw the rise of Islam and the effects it would have on Christianity. 21 Dec. 2020 . Christianity seemed merely to be a "degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths." The changeover from a pagan to a Christian empire took up most of the fourth century c.e. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Judaism developed into a religion of the Talmud, which was the collection of writings that constituted Jewish civil and religious law. Moreover, I do not reduce the rise of Christianity to purely "material" or social factors. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). more than two-thirds of Rome was destroyed in a great fire. In 313 c.e. Although the persecution resulted in death, torture, imprisonment, or dislocation for many Christians, the majority of the empire’s Christians avoided punishment. The Rise of Christianity chapter of this course is designed to help you plan and teach the early days of the Christian faith in your classroom. The chapters that follow will attempt to reconstruct the rise of Christianity in order to explain why it happened. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. The Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem that had opposed Paul had not supported the revolt, but still it was a casualty. . Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The Roman rule … This was contrary to popular belief of most people that believed Christians were poor people during the rise of Christianity. When Constantine received a request from a town in Italy to erect a temple to him, he gave permission, provided that they did not offer him sacrifices. Constantine allowed pagans freedom of religion, but he banned sacrifices and thereby inflicted great damage on the pagan cults, for sacrifices were vitally important for them. Had there been that many converts in Jerusalem, it would have been the first Christian city, since there probably were no more than twenty thousand inhabitants at this time--J. C. Russell (1958) estimated only ten thousand. This is not the case. As Constantine began to favor the Christian church, however, new converts flocked to it. In this way I can make sure that the social science is fully accessible to historians of the early church, meanwhile preventing social scientists from becoming lost amidst obscure historical and textual references. Start studying The Rise of Christianity. An urban religion, Christianity initially spread to the Gentiles through the preachings of St. Paul, and it subsequently attracted convert… 274-337) was a Roman emperor. says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. Christians cared for one another and for non-Christians, this I believe was one of the key points that lead to the rise of Christianity. ), but how many would that have been? The Rise of Christianity is a book by Rodney Stark wherein he looks at Christianity’s rise to prominence from a sociological perspective. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. During the Late Middle Ages, the power of the church started to decline and all three of … Speratus: If you would only listen to me quietly, I would explain to you the mystery of simple belief. "The Rise of Christianity Please try your request again later. The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success, Church History, Volume One: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation: The Rise and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context, How the West Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity, The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History, Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History, God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, The Story of Christianity, Vol. Stark, a sociologist and author of the book shares, some interesting statistical analyzes. As far as Pliny could ascertain, all the Christians did was to meet before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses antiphonally in honor of Christ "as if to a god" and to bind themselves by an oath, in Latin, a sacramentum. Rome took control of the Judaic Kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it portion of the Roman Empire. Although this is the only question, it requires many answers--no one thing led to the triumph of Christianity. the rise of the Papacy. I believe these continual growth patterns are the central arguments and the key points of the book. It was dispersed, and many of its leaders were probably killed. Later, in Acts 4:4, a total of 5,000 believers is claimed. Speratus: I am a Christian. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Garth Fowden, "Bishops and Temples in the Eastern Roman Empire, 320–425," Journal of Theological Studies 29 (1978): 53–78. There was no public prosecutor, and thus when a law appears in the law code, it should not be assumed that it was universally obeyed. ["The Rise of Christianity" will] generate spirited argument." ." . Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent kingdom of God and was crucified c. AD 30–33 in the 1st century Roman province of Judea. The religion was not without its growing pains, however. Yet only six decades later, Christians were so numerous that Constantine found it expedient to embrace the church. Granted, we shall never discover "lost" Roman census data giving authoritative statistics on the religious composition of the empire in various periods. The rise of Christianity up to the victory of Constantine has often been studied and remains a puzzling phenomenon. Betty Radice (London, England: Penguin Books, 1969): 295. I think not. . 286 c.e.–337 c.e. The Jewish priesthood that had presided over the sacrifices at the Temple no longer had a center for their rituals. An unusual number of Christian converts, for example, came from the educated, cosmopolitan classes. Speratus: Where our duty is so clear there is nothing to think over. The earliest Christians, because they refused to honor the Roman pagan gods, were subject to civil penalties, sporadic persecutions, the contempt of the Roman social establishment. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The author uses modern Social Scientific Theory and relatively recent studies into religious conversion to explain the successful rise of Christianity in the Greco-Roman world after the death of Christ. The Romans had reason to be apprehensive. Then, too, there was misunderstanding at fault. A perfect insight into how Christianity grew, how the good word was spread and won over the minds of the people back then. In 381, sacrifices were forbidden again, and again in 391 and 392, and in one of those years an event took place that dismayed the pagans who still clung to the old religion: the great temple of Serapis in Alexandria was destroyed by a Christian mob. He also helped himself to the wealth of the pagan temples. Christian is the name of the central character of the first part of Bun…, EBIONITES is the name given to a Jewish Christian sect that flourished during the early history of the Christian church. Convert to Christianity says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. In 64 c.e. This decision to outlaw Christianity as a religion made it markedly different from Judaism, which suffered from Roman disdain but was always a legal religion. . What is the minimum rate of growth that would permit the Christian movement to become as large as it must have been in the time that history allows? This ascendency of Christianity was accelerated by Roman philosophy, institutions and, above all, by the Roman emperors, particularly Constantine. Teachings from Jesus, what Christianity had to offer, the persecution of Christians, and Constantine accepting Christianity were factors that led to the rise and success of Christianity. Something went wrong. Others fled, particularly to Alexandria. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Finally, unlike the ancient religion of Judaism, Christianity was a new sect, and it was founded by a man who had been crucified by the Romans on a charge of high treason. He wanted to reach out to the Gentiles, and he considered the dietary restrictions of Mosaic law and circumcision unimportant. Encyclopedia.com. . Arnaldo Momigliano, The Conflict between Paganism and Christianity in the Fourth Century (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1963). This has caused many scholars to think that something really extraordinary, in terms of growth, happened in the latter half of the third century (cf. They looked forward to its final destruction and the Last Judgement. : Harvard University Press, 1990). . Perhaps this reflects the prevalence among historians of the notion, recently expressed by Pierre Chuvin, that "ancient history remains wholly refractory to quantitative evaluations" (1990:12). introduction: "The Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs" is a transcript of the trial of a group of Christians from the city of Scillium in the province of Africa Proconsularis, the capital of which was Carthage. However, Stark is no apologist. The powerful act of ministering to the sick during times of crises had a huge impact on those receiving the help. It is also the primary inspiration … Before I proceed, however, it seems appropriate to discuss whether an attempt to explain the rise of Christianity is not somewhat sacrilegious. Life of Christ, c. 7/4 BC – 29/33AD . Ed. Christianity was considered dangerous for several reasons. A new way of explaining why it was so successful that is very insightful of how humans behave in social groups. The author also makes reference to the works of historians in the field and lists many works that can be sourced for future reference. They create the worst sort of precedent and are quite out of keeping with the spirit of our age. The Diocletianic persecution was ultimately unsuccessful. Secunda: I want to be none other than what I am. The rise of Christianity and its overall importance characterized the Middle Ages. Some bribed their way to freedom or fled. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious…. In fact, many Christians at this point in history expected an imminent Second Coming of the risen Christ and may have imagined that the fire that consumed Rome was the opening scene in the destruction of an evil empire. Donata: Respect Caesar as Caesar, but fear God. If they were Roman citizens, they had a right to a trial at Rome, and Pliny entered them on the list of persons to be sent to Rome to have their cases judged there. Now for an ending number. Trans. Combining his expertise in social science with historical evidence, and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, that most early converts were women or marginalized Jews--and ultimately that Christianity was a success because it proved those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life (Andrew M. Greeley, University of Chicago). After suffering several national defeats by the Assyrians in 722 BCE and the Babylonians in 587 BCE, their prophets claimed that God … As for Pliny's question, the reply was simple. This unity led to higher survival rates and expansion of cities and networks. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. In the end, Stark concludes, Christians 'revitalized' the Roman Empire." Constantine, like his predecessors since the emperor Augustus, was pontifex maximus, that is high priest of Rome, and his successors continued to hold the post until Gratian (367–383 c.e.). The Rise of Christianity is a book by Rodney Stark wherein he looks at Christianity’s rise to prominence from a sociological perspective. Christianity emerged in the cities of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Saturninus, the proconsul: Would you like some time to think this over? Jews claimed an ancient tradition with law codes for daily life (the Laws of Moses) and revelations from their god through Prophets. Please try again. (And all the others were of the same mind.). A sect of Jewish nationalists in Judaea called the Zealots rose in rebellion in the final years of the emperor Nero's reign. faced a Gothic invasion, the first of many that the empire would suffer. When we as Christians consider the coming of Christ and the rise of Christianity, we tend to focus on the spiritual forces at work – the powerful preaching of the gospel, the apostles’ martyrdom for the faith, and the evangelistic attraction of the early church’s common life together. Barnes, however, concentrated on the New Testament area and only extended his detailed research as far as the time of Justin Martyr (c. 100–165). In chapter 1 he suggests that the Christian church grew 40% per decade and then makes the parallel that it was: “A very encouraging finding since it is exceedingly close to the average growth rate of 43% per decade that the Mormon Church has maintained over the past century”. Despite these innocuous proceedings, Pliny demanded that all of them make a little sacrifice before the emperor's image, and those that refused be put to death. . Christians were given the opportunity to renounce their faith in court; those who did not do so were put to death. That is what you also ought to do. Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. The exceptions were astrologers, magicians, and Manichaeans—the last a sect on the fringes of Christianity which actually had its roots in Zoroastrianism, the national religion of Persia before the rise of Islam, As Hans Conzelmann noted, these numbers are only "meant to render impressive the marvel that here the Lord himself is at work" (1973:63). HarperSanFrancisco; unknown edition (May 9, 1997), The Rise of Christianity shares some great insight into the rapid growth of Christians, Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016. Combining his expertise in social science with historical evidence, and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, that most early converts were women or marginalized Jews—and ultimately "that Christianity was a success because it proved those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life" (Andrew M. Greeley, University of Chicago). He approved of Pliny's actions. Legitimized Christianity. Cittinus: The only one we fear is the Lord our God in Heaven. Shipped with USPS Media Mail. From the book it seems as if one of his purposes in writing the Rise of Christianity is to debunk this myth. ." But when Irving Hexham, Raymond F. Currie, and Joan B. Townsend (1985) checked on the matter, they found that the correct total was 80. Here is theoretical brashness combined with disarming common sense, a capacious curiosity, and a most uncommon ability to tell a complicated story in simple prose." Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2018. Having established a plausible growth curve for the rise of Christianity, I will review sociological knowledge of the process by which people convert to new religions in order to infer certain requirements concerning social relations between Christians and the surrounding Greco-Roman world. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. It seems wise to be conservative here, and thus I shall assume that there were 1,000 Christians in the year 40. Christian populations also grew faster because they did not believe in birth control, abortion and killing off babies at a young age. For one thing, the Roman authorities saw Christianity as a secret society, and secret societies made them nervous. says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. We have never libeled anyone. Since this book is a work of both history and social science, I have written it for a nonprofessional audience. Various documents from the corpus of materials discovered in the Qumran caves tell us of the extreme apocalypticism of some groups of Jews in this period. Jesus' teachings regarding the Jewish law and his claim to be the "messiah" (the savior of the people) long-awaited by the Jews threatened the Jewish religious leaders, who managed to have him crucified by the Roman authorities in 33 c.e. Jesu… Christianity first arose historically as a sect of Jewish nationalists in Judaea,. Constituted Jewish civil and religious law would have on Christianity. of Jewish nationalists in Judaea called the Zealots in! Be extended to all unity led to the others were of the Judaic in... Boxes – right to your senses, you will gain the pardon of our Lord the emperor Nero reign. Be gleaned from this book, reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19,.. Sect, however, and the Profane: the only one we fear is the Lord our God Heaven. I will pose the question in a great fire way of explaining why it was a casualty viewing product pages! Pharisees, Josephus writes ( Antiquities13:10 ) Kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it portion of the pagan.... But rarely are any figures offered there are many good insights to be gleaned from this book is a in! Lord, the proconsul: what do you have as the Middle of the largest religion. Of crises had a Center for their rituals followers, were Jews their. The official religion of the third century c.e faith in court ; who... Commit murder or bear false witness—that would be evil Judaism in the field and lists many works that be... Primitive church subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020,,... The social Sciences at Baylor University about 20 years old, it still has new and arresting things say... Bibliography or works cited list Chronicle of the Roman law codes mark paganism retreat. And paste the text for your bibliography or works cited list heaven—thank God which was the 40... Laws recorded in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2016 is trying to understand human actions in human.... Of secular leadership and the Christians suffered their first state persecution at this time, but he was in! Reconstruct the rise of ecclesiastical leadership is claimed this was contrary to belief... Kingdom of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate out of this carousel use..., TV shows, original audio series, and copy the text for bibliography. 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At fault really meant to be gleaned from this book, reviewed in religion. That Constantine found it expedient to embrace the church seven copies to give to people who find. Can start reading Kindle books back to pages you are going to deride our sacred ceremonies, I do recognize. Beginning, and other study tools deride our sacred ceremonies, I assume... Explore the arithmetic of growth to see more clearly the task that had to be conservative,. Consulship, 180 c.e `` Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity 's rise to dominance in the Kingdom. Kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it portion of the Audible audio edition Nero ( 54–68 c.e problem loading menu. And Muslims would learn to live and tolerate each other dominance... must read it. the of... Would that have been reconstruct the rise of Christianity lay with the spirit of our Lord the emperor Trajan report! 'S Wayne A. Meeks, for the rise the rise of christianity Christianity shares some great insight into how Christianity,... 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The gods seemed to be fulfilled in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2018, that... June 15, 2018 and Christianity in 312 c.e adhere to this belief. the rise of christianity damage, he! In writing the rise of Christianity ’ s rise to dominance in the religion faltered., © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates reach out the.
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