| The Rise of Christianity | |
| Author: | Rodney Stark |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Non-fiction |
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press Harper San Francisco |
| Release Date: | 13 May 1996[1] 9 May 1997 |
| Media Type: | print hard-cover (and 1997 paperback[2]) |
| Pages: | 256 272 |
| Isbn: | 978-0691027494 |
The Rise of Christianity (subtitled either A Sociologist Reconsiders History or How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, depending on the edition), 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.
Stark argues that contrary to popular belief, Christianity was not a movement of the lower classes and the oppressed but instead of the upper and middle classes in the cities and of Hellenized Jews. Stark also discusses the exponential nature of the growth of religion.
Stark points to a number of advantages that Christianity had over paganism to explain its growth:
Stark's basic thesis is that, ultimately, Christianity triumphed over paganism because it improved the quality of life of its adherents at that time.
"Stark has produced a provocative, insightful, challenging account of the rise of Christianity. The thesis—that Christianity was a success because it provided those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life—may anger many readers and force all readers to stop and think. It is a marvelous exercise in the sociological imagination and a warning to those who like simple explanations--such as that Constantine was ultimately responsible for the success of Christianity when he made it the official religion of the Roman Empire" (Andrew M. Greeley, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago).[3]
"For years, biblical scholars and church historians have used sociological jargon to promote ideological views. Now an established sociologist has entered the fray with devastating results. This brilliant and highly provocative book will revolutionize the way people think about both biblical studies and church history. Love it or hate it, Rodney Stark's The Rise of Christianity is a book nobody interested in the study of religion can ignore" (Irving Hexham, University of Calgary).[3]
This book prominently featured within the storyline of Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card, according to the book's afterword, and The Rise of Christianity even inspired the book's plot.[4]