1 shall qualify this assumption at several later points in the chapter. The Roman rule caused some conflicts and unrest in Judaea. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The origin of the term, a He…, Christianity, derived from Judaism to become the dominant religion of western Europe and the driving force behind its civilization, has underpinned m…, Constantine I (ca. Having read textual scholars over the years, one finds them obsessed by tiny details and with a failure to grasp the big picture and, where there may be some gradual consensus on dating and provenance, this is often the product of unacknowledged interpretive schemes that are less tested and therefore less valuable than the sociological approaches advanced by Stark. Church history in plain language updated 4th edition, The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion. Garth Fowden, "Bishops and Temples in the Eastern Roman Empire, 320–425," Journal of Theological Studies 29 (1978): 53–78. Indeed, as Robert M. Grant pointed out, "one must always remember that figures in antiquity . Then, too, there was misunderstanding at fault. 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. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. "Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to dominance. Along with the Pharisees existed three groups that warred wit… Finally, all questions concerning the rise of Christianity are one: How was it done? 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. Constantine's new gold and silver coinage that helped stabilize the runaway inflation of earlier reigns used bullion from the pagan temples. Christianity was a crime perse. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2018. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious…. Granted, we shall never discover "lost" Roman census data giving authoritative statistics on the religious composition of the empire in various periods. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2017. . "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. 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. Although the persecution resulted in death, torture, imprisonment, or dislocation for many Christians, the majority of the empire’s Christians avoided punishment. An urban religion, Christianity initially spread to the Gentiles through the preachings of St. Paul, and it subsequently attracted convert… Gager 1975). 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. Pliny arrived in Bithynia in 111 c.e. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. The first Christians, Jesus’ followers, were Jews. Secunda: I want to be none other than what I am. 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). The religion was not without its growing pains, however. John Ferguson, Jesus in the Tide of History: An Historical Survey (London, England: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980). Stark makes an argument similar to the views and consensus that developed among modern New Testament historians which is that Christianity was mainly a religion practiced by the middle and upper classes. But pamphlets circulated anonymously must play no part in any accusation. . Rodney Stark is the Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University. This was contrary to popular belief of most people that believed Christians were poor people during the rise of Christianity. Speratus again said: I am a Christian. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. By the time of Constantine, Christianity had become a considerable force, with growth patterns very similar to those of modern-day successful religious movements. First, I shall explore the arithmetic of growth to see more clearly the task that had to be accomplished. This is a refreshing piece of scholarship. In the worst disaster since the days of Hannibal the Roman army and the emperor Valens were wiped o…, The Rise of Biotechnology as Big Business, The Rise and Practice of Inoculation in the 1700s, The Rise and Fall of the Phlogiston Theory of Fire, The Rise of Falsafah: The Philosophical Tradition, The Rise of Monarchies: France, England, and Spain, The Rise of Probabilistic and Statistical Thinking, The Rise of Revolutionary Sentiment in France and Its Impact on the Theater, The Rise of Rome (3rd century bce to 2nd century ce, The Rise of the Appropriate Technology Movement, The Rise of the Phlogiston Theory of Fire, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/culture-magazines/rise-christianity. But in this chapter I will pose the question in a more precise way than has been done. . Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Saturninus, the proconsul—that is, the former consul who was acting as governor of the province—presided. Saturninus, the proconsul: What do you have as the documents in your case? In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. The ban on pagan sacrifice is a case in point. They clung to the Jewish law of Moses and insisted that all Gentile converts should be circumcised. The Rise of Christianity is a book by Rodney Stark wherein he looks at Christianity’s rise to prominence from a sociological perspective. 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. 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? Stark suggests that during times of epidemics, Christian stayed in cities that were plagued by sickness. Speratus: The sacred writings, and the epistles of a saint named Paul. ." Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. 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. The Pharisees were not just another sect, therefore; they were the people. : Harvard University Press, 1990). Judaism developed into a religion of the Talmud, which was the collection of writings that constituted Jewish civil and religious law. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. must read it." 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. Pliny's policy towards the early Christian church was harsh in accordance with Rome's suspicious attitude towards these radical believers who neither adhered to Roman pagan gods nor worshipped the emperor. If so, then we may need to formulate new social scientific propositions about conversion. The laws recorded in the Roman law codes mark paganism's retreat. says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. There is absolutely no attempt on Stark’s part to convince the reader that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified and raised from the dead. The emperor Decius (249–252 c.e.) Did Christianity grow so rapidly that mass conversions must have taken place--as Acts attests and every historian from Eusebius to Ramsay MacMullen has believed? and died there two years later. The Rise of Christianity Christianity is today the world’s largest religion, representing at least a quarter of the world’s population. Speratus: We have never hurt anyone. Christianity expressed a positive social ideal to be followed in mortal life as well as a doctrine to be fulfilled in the afterlife. Ed. Refer to each style’s convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. This is not the case. Elsewhere, Stark writes, “Thus, until recently, the social scientific (his emphasis) study of religion was nothing of the sort. In the end, the persecution failed to che… Trajan's answer was brief. The chapters that follow will attempt to reconstruct the rise of Christianity in order to explain why it happened. Later, in Acts 4:4, a total of 5,000 believers is claimed. It is also the primary inspiration … "The Rise of Christianity Encyclopedia.com. The rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark. ADVERTISEMENTS: After reading this article you will learn about the rise of Christianity with the fall of Roman Empire. In 111 c.e., a Roman named Pliny was governor of the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor, and encountered a cell of Christians. The gods seemed to be angry with Rome, and Decius insisted that everyone sacrifice to them and present certificates to that effect. 4. the failure of secular leadership and the rise of ecclesiastical leadership . However, Stark is no apologist. For example, in order for Christianity to have achieved success in the time allowed, must it have grown at rates that seem incredible in the light of modern experience? 274-337) was a Roman emperor. Saturninus, the proconsul: [speaking to the others] Take no part in this business—it is madness. Stark is trying to understand the data of Christianity’s growth without discrediting its religious claims. The Temple was destroyed and its treasures taken to Rome as booty. 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. 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. Yet only six decades later, Christians were so numerous that Constantine found it expedient to embrace the church. ." Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. 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. This "fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won—for Jesus" (Newsweek) is now available in paperback. 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 up to the victory of Constantine has often been studied and remains a puzzling phenomenon. The Roman rule … . Among other things it grew because of its favourable treatment of women, its willingness to nurse and care for those affected by the plagues that swept the Empire, by its theological answers to the tired voices of classical paganism and by its commitment to the message of Jesus. says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. This was an example of a Christian tactic against paganism which had dramatic effect—demonstrating that the old gods could be flouted without fear of divine punishment. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. ; the next year, Jerusalem was taken by an army led by Vespasian's son, Titus. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. 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 is not the case. Arnaldo Momigliano, The Conflict between Paganism and Christianity in the Fourth Century (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1963). Christianity was firmly anchored in the heritage of Second Temple sectarianism. Frend's "The Rise of Christianity" is approaching its 30th birthday (and while there has been an immense proliferation of scholarship on Early Christianity and Late Antiquity in the interim), this is still an authoritative and fundamental survey of the first 7 centuries of the Christian Church. -- "Library Journal""This book raises, simply and brilliantly, just the kinds of questions anyone concerned with early Christianity should ask." Rome took control of the Judaic Kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it portion of the Roman Empire. In the end, Stark concludes, Christians 'revitalized' the Roman Empire." the doctrines of which envisaged an ongoing struggle in this world between the forces of Good and the dark forces of Evil. Constantine I's long reign brought about a profound change between the Ro…, Christian relating to or professing Christianity; a believer in Christianity. As late as the middle of the third century, Origen admitted that Christians made up "just a few" of the population. "The Rise of Christianity The empire was always afraid of subversion. Start studying Rise of Christianity. For another, it is clear from early Christian writings that the Christians. Pierre Chuvin, A Chronicle of the Last Pagans (Cambridge, Mass. 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 majority of the population followed the Pharisees, Josephus writes (Antiquities13:10). (And all the rest agreed with him.). He also helped himself to the wealth of the pagan temples. How did a tiny and obscure messianic movement from the edge of the Roman Empire dislodge classical paganism and become the dominant faith of Western civilization? 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. Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2016. 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. Although the religion initially faltered after Jesus' death, reports that Jesu… The establishment of Christian religion […] says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. 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”. Convert to Christianity Jacob Neusner, Judaism in the Beginning of Christianity (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984). Saturninus, the proconsul: You may have a thirty-day reprieve to think this over. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, "Stark finds that Christians prospered the old-fashioned way: by providing a better, happier and more secure way of life . 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. 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 … There was a problem loading your book clubs. They looked forward to its final destruction and the Last Judgement. Since its foundation, Ancient Rome was a deeply religious society and religious and political office often went hand in hand. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Nero needed a scapegoat, and the Christians were unpopular; in some quarters they were blamed for setting the fire. 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. . 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