The Rise of Christianity

Rodney A. Stark

Growth of Christianity

• Question: how did Christians grow from a tiny percentage of the Roman empire population to its majority by the year 350?

• Factors– Conversion through social networks

• “primary” and “secondary conversions

– Birth rates– Urban networks– Epidemics– Role of women

Estimates of population (Roman empire = 60 million people)

Year # of Christians Percent of population

40 1,000 0.0017%

100 7,500 0.07%

200 218,000 0.36%

300 6,300,000 10.5%

350 34,000,000 56.5%

From Stark, The Rise of Christianity, p. 7

The role of women in Christian growth

• More women converted (primary)– Led husbands in secondary conversions– Could use their wealth (widows) for church– Christian women had higher status?

• Women had more to gain in converting, men had more to lose?

• Christians had higher fertility rates– Spoke out against infanticide; had more girls– Lower rate of (v. dangerous) abortions and use of

birth control

What did early Christians do?

• Meetings– Originally met in synagogues– After 70CE, met in house churches– By 300s, met in basilicas

• Liturgy (work of the people; worship)– Met on Sundays– Had readings, “agape” meal (eucharist)– Needed to be baptized to participate fully

• Big deal• Long preparation• Elaborate ritual

Practice, continued

• Ministries– Presbyters/priests

• Some groups allowed female presiders, many did not

– Deacons: servants• Helped in liturgies• Served needs of the community, especially poor and widows• Could be male or female

– Bishops• Head of church in a city• Main cities: Rome, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria• Public symbol of continuity of apostle’s teachings

– Itinerant preachers• Careful: some were frauds and freeloaders

– Prophets

Developments

• Growth

• Move from margins to mainstream– Church community starts looking more

mainstream• Ex: limitation of women’s ministries as deacons:

can only work with women

• More resources: bigger church buildings

For next time

• Life of Antony– Why does he convert? – How is his story similar to Perpetua and

Thecla’s? How different?– Why is he so focused on demons?

• Chidester– How does monasticism contribute to the

growth of Christianity?