5 out of 5 stars
The Rise of Christianity was written in 1996 and originally published by Princeton University Press, and later by HarperCollins. Stark is that rarest of academics, one who is not prejudiced against Christians and Christianity. He has no strong religious convictions of his own. He is a sociologist who studies religion.
The Rise of Christianity is devoted to explaining, in secular terms, how and why Christianity grew in the Roman Empire. It gives some of the nuts and bolts of how our religion spread, including the heavy involvement of women in supporting the early church as well as the differing reaction of pagans and Christians to events such as the two plagues, one in 165 AD. and one in 251 AD. In both cases, Christians bravely cared for the sick, whereas pagans shoved the sick members of their households out onto the street to die in ditches on the side of the road or migrated from the city leaving their sick behind to starve and die helplessly.
The pagans knew that the disease was spread by contact with infected victims, and there was no effective medical treatment. According to their religion, once they had appealed to their gods (really carved figured of wood and stone) and sacrificed to them, there was nothing more that they could do.
Christians, on the other hand, believe in an afterlife and that Heaven is waiting for Believers. Jesus commanded us to care for the sick (Matthew 25:36) and so Christians did just that. Many patients, both Christian and pagan, recovered after Christians said prayers over them, fed them and nursed them. Some died, and some Christian nurses died, but the death rate was much lower for those under Christian care. It was a Christian miracle.
Atheists believe that religious beliefs have no effect on society, so it makes no difference what (if any) religion you believe in. In fact, Christian beliefs have had a major impact on society, as exemplified by the two responses to epidemics.
Stark believes that Christianity increased at a rate of 40% per decade for centuries, and that furthermore the plagues helped convince pagans of the value of Christianity, further adding to the increase. By 350 AD., Christianity had achieved dominance over paganism. This was a time of tension, as pagans began to leave the public square, and lose the state funding that had made a career as a pagan priest so lucrative. Battles broke out between Christians and lawless pagans in cities like Alexandria, as pagans sought to retain valuable public real estate for their unused and unwanted temples.
In 361 AD. Julian the Apostate became Emperor. He was a pagan and wanted to bring back paganism. By now, Christians were in a clear majority in the Empire. Julian was convinced that Christian charity was behind the rise of Christianity. Stark quotes one of the greatest backhanded compliments that Christians have ever gotten about our charity:
“I think that when the poor happened to be neglected and overlooked by the [pagan] priests, Galileans [Christians] observed this and devoted themselves to benevolence.”
and:
“The impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that our people lack aid from us.”
Has there every been a better summary of the pagan view of Christian charity? Could any pagan have penned a better compliment? Next Christmas, when the humanists start railing about the Christian desire to make sure that every child has a nice Christmas present, quote Julian to them. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
The Rise of Christianity has numerous quotes and observations like that. It’s one reason I like the book so much. Unlike other secular writers, Stark has not hesitated to include items that reflected favorably on Christianity. For that reason alone, it is a good book to read.
A Christian still might ask, “Why read this book?” The usual non-fiction reading for a Christian is a devotional or a Bible study book. Here is why, in two verses from the Bible:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20.
This is the great commission. It is the last command of Lord Jesus in the Book of Matthew. It was given to the 11 disciples after he had been resurrected from the grave. It is a command to all of us. Here is the second verse you should know.
“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So, he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there.”
Acts 17:16,17
Some of you are in college, and it is your job evangelize the atheists, just as Paul did. This is part of the great commission. Some of that involves meeting atheists and arguing the case for Christianity. Just as Paul did, you must argue on secular grounds, because those are the grounds that atheists accept. Paul was not ashamed of Christianity and he wasn’t afraid of the philosophers; he went boldly forth into the marketplace. You should do likewise.
There is no better starting place, in my opinion, to learn the secular case for Christianity than The Rise of Christianity. It has example after example of Christians in action. There is much nonsense and dishonesty in academia about Christianity. For example, the feminist case against Christianity is nonsense; women, given a choice between paganism and the early Church, flocked to the Church and were a mainstay in its rise. The young Christian must arm himself (or herself) against the misinformation and outright lies of academia about Christianity. The Rise of Christianity is a good place to start, which is why I am recommending it.
