02588pam a2200325 a 4500 33243035 AUA.1 20160122130804.0 950922s1996 njuab b 001 0 eng 95044197 0691027498 (cloth : acidfree paper) DLC DLC EXN aw----- e------ ff----- EXNs BR 166 .S75 1996 306.6/701 20 Stark, Rodney. 6221 The rise of Christianity : a sociologist reconsiders history / Rodney Stark. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c1996. xiv, 246 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-242) and index. Contents: Conversion and Christian growth -- The class basis of early Christianity -- The mission to the Jews: Why it probably succeeded -- Epidemics, networks, and conversion -- The role of women in Christian growth -- Christianizing the urban empire: A quantitative approach -- Urban chaos and crisis: The case of Antioch -- The martyrs: Sacrifice as rational choice -- Opportunity and organization -- A brief reflection on virtue. Summary: 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 picture of early Christianity. Church history Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. 6222 Christian sociology History Early church, ca. 30-600. 6223 lcc BOOK BR166 .S75 1996 1720 1720 0 0 lcc 0 0 Books AUA.1 AUA.1 GS 2011-10-13 Donation, Dr. Jan Paulsen 25.00 AUA001999 1 BR 166 .S75 1996 AUA001999 2018-06-08 00:00:00 2018-06-03 25.00 2011-10-13 BOOK