Book Review — The Rise of Christianity

April 10, 2008

The Rise of Christianity, by Rodney Stark

This was a fascinating book for me to read, unlike any that I have read. The subtitle of the book is, ‘How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries.’ Stark’s aim is to explain just that. How did Christianity rise in the Greco-Roman world to be the power that it became, which in turn caused it to spread around the world?

One of the things that made this book such a compelling read for me is that I could not tell (and still am not sure) whether Stark is a Christian. From what I read, it seems that if he is, he has a much more liberal understanding of the Bible than I do. While this made the book a bit difficult to read at points, it also made it very enjoyable for me. Stark explains the rise of Christianity in a way that my atheist father could agree with.

He writes as a sociologist and a historian, not as a theologian, and so he explains the dramatic rise of Christianity in mainly sociological terms. At some points this makes him border on irreverent, as he often explains Christianity as just another religious product consumed because of the right sociological conditions and its ability meet the religious needs of the target audience. Therefore, my dad could read this book and conclude that Christianity rose purely because of humanly-explained, natural, sociological factors that have nothing to do with God.

But believing what I do about the sovereignty of God over all things, I was able to read this rather atheistic explanation of the rise of Christianity with deep awe and admiration for the wisdom and power of God. Stark also described how the unique worldview of Christianity led to its rise and its ability to overthrow paganism. Because of its commitment to true community, hope in heavenly glory, power to love others in the faith and outside of it, and its view toward women and children, Christianity was able to thrive in the Greco-Roman world where other religions could not.

Stark’s conclusion is solid: The ultimate factor in the rise of Christianity was that ‘central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations.’

In sum, I learned a lot by reading this book, and am very glad that I read it. It’s given me a desire to read more about Church history, an area that I am not well-versed in. I would commend this book to others (especially chapters 4, 5 and 7), so long as they read it with the understanding that Stark is not writing a theological account of the rise of Christianity. If one brings a biblically-grounded worldview to this book, I think it will be a greatly enjoyable read that will lead you to worship God for His wisdom and goodness.

Posted by Larry | Filed Under Book Reviews, Seeking Him 

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