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Stark, the author of The Rise of Christianity, reviews the history of the seven major crusades from 1095-1291 in this fascinating work of religious revisionist history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49506698985745,"sku":"CIN0061582611VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49975594287377,"sku":"CIN0061582611G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50751822070033,"sku":"GOR008267934","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0061582611.jpg?v=1750972394"},{"product_id":"future-of-religion-book-rodney-stark-9780520057319","title":"The Future of Religion","description":"Religion is alive and well in the modern world, and the social-scientific study of religion is undergoing a renaissance. For much of this century, respected social theorists predicted the death of religion as inevitable consequence of science, education, and modern economics. But they were wrong. Stark and Bainbridge set out to explain the survival of religion. Using information derived from numerous surveys, censuses, historical case studies, and ethnographic field expeditions, they chart the full sweep of contemporary religion from the traditional denominations to the most fervent cults. This wealth of information is located within a coherent theoretical framework that examines religion as a social response to human needs, both the general needs shared by all and the desires specific to those who are denied the economic rewards or prestige enjoyed by the privileged. By explaining the forms taken by religions today, Stark and Bainbridge allow us to understand its persistence in a secular age and its prospects for the future.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49518526071057,"sku":"CIN0520057317G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49553657659665,"sku":"GOR002087140","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50906703692049,"sku":"GOR006981443","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53140706132241,"sku":"GOR014770462","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53521205330193,"sku":"NLS9780520057319","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0520057317.jpg?v=1778581168"},{"product_id":"triumph-of-christianity-how-the-jesus-movement-became-the-world-s-largest-religi-book-rodney-stark-9780062007698","title":"The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World's Largest Religion","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Celebrated religious and social historian Rodney Starktraces the extraordinary rise of Christianity through its most pivotal andcontroversial moments to offer fresh perspective on the history of the world'slargest religion. In The Triumph of Christianity, the author of God'sBattalions and The Rise of Christianity gathers and refines decadesof powerful research and discovery into one concentrated, concise, and highlyreadable volume that explores Christianity's most crucial episodes. The uniqueformat of Triumph of Christianity allows Stark to avoid densechronologies and difficult back stories, bringing readers right to the heart ofChristian history's most vital controversies and enduring lessons.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49520937402641,"sku":"GOR007008628","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49726318903569,"sku":"NGR9780062007698","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50416075669777,"sku":"CIN0062007696G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50998990078225,"sku":"NIN9780062007698","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51728103506193,"sku":"CIN0062007696VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52418213609745,"sku":"NLS9780062007698","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":52608264306961,"sku":"CIN0062007696A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52880336945425,"sku":"CIN0062007696LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53122845704465,"sku":"GOR008734457","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53163403575569,"sku":"GOR011839558","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0062007696.jpg?v=1751446960"},{"product_id":"rise-of-christianity-book-rodney-stark-9780060677015","title":"The Rise of Christianity","description":"\u003cp\u003eRodney Stark's \"fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won--for Jesus\" (Newsweek)--a provocative report that 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.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"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. \"Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to dominance ... must read it.\" says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCombining 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 was a success because it proved those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life\" (Andrew M. 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Scientists, secularists, and atheists applaud the change; religious believers lament it. But here's the thing: they're all wrong, and acclaimed author Rodney Stark has the numbers to prove it. The Triumph of Faith explodes the myth that people around the world are abandoning religion. In this lively, eye-opening book, Stark marshals an unprecedented body of data-surveys of more than a million people in 163 nations-to paint the full picture that both scholars and popular commentators have missed. He examines why this astonishing growth of religion is happening and what it means for our future.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49553617092881,"sku":"GOR011518892","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51424093339921,"sku":"CIN1610171381G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52106938876177,"sku":"CIN1610171381VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1610171381.jpg?v=1751088490"},{"product_id":"bearing-false-witness-book-rodney-stark-9781599474991","title":"Bearing False Witness","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs we all know and as many of our well-established textbooks have argued for decades, the Inquisition was one of the most frightening and bloody chapters in Western history; Pope Pius XII was anti-Semitic and rightfully called \"Hitler's Pope,\" the Dark Ages were stunting the progress of knowledge to be redeemed only by the secular spirit of the Enlightenment. The religious Crusades were an early example of the rapacious Western thirst for riches and power. But what if these long held beliefs were all wrong?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this stunning, powerful, and ultimately persuasive book, Rodney Stark, one of the most highly regarded sociologists of religion and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Rise of Christianity\u003c\/i\u003e (HarperSanFrancisco 1997), argues that some of our most firmly held ideas about history, ideas that paint the Catholic Church in the least favorable light are, in fact, fiction. Why have we held these wrongheaded ideas so firmly and for so long? And if our beliefs are wrong, what is the truth?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn each chapter, Stark takes on a well-established anti-Catholic myth, gives a fascinating history of how each myth became conventional wisdom and presents a startling picture of the real truth. For example, instead of the Spanish Inquisition being an anomaly of torture and murder of innocent people persecuted for \"imaginary\" crimes such as witchcraft and blasphemy, Stark argues that not only did the Spanish Inquisition spill very little blood, but it was a major force in support of moderation and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStark dispels the myth of Pope Pius XII being apathetic or even helpful to the Nazi movement, such as to merit the title \"Hitler's Pope,\" and instead shows that the campaign to link Pope Pius XII to Hitler was initiated by the Soviet Union, presumably in hopes of neutralizing the Vatican in post-World War II affairs. Many praised Pope Pius XIIs vigorous and devoted efforts to saving Jewish lives during the war.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInstead of understanding the Dark Ages as a millennium of ignorance and backwardness inspired by the Catholic Church's power, Stark argues that the whole notion of the \"Dark Ages\" was an act of pride perpetuated by anti-religious intellectuals who were determined to claim that theirs was the era of \"Enlightenment.\" \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the end, readers of \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBearing False Witness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e will have a more accurate history of the Catholic Church and will also understand why it became unfairly maligned for so long. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBearing False Witness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a compelling and sobering account of how egotism and ideology often work together to give us a false truth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49564078997777,"sku":"CIN1599474999G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50194457559313,"sku":"GOR008019048","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51612563374353,"sku":"CIN1599474999VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1599474999.jpg?v=1751428774"},{"product_id":"how-the-west-won-book-rodney-stark-9781610170857","title":"How the West Won","description":"Modernity developed only in the West-in Europe and North America. Nowhere else did science and democracy arise; nowhere else was slavery outlawed. Only Westerners invented chimneys, musical scores, telescopes, eyeglasses, pianos, electric lights, aspirin, and soap. The question is, why? Unfortunately, that question has become so politically incorrect that most scholars avoid it. But acclaimed author Rodney Stark provides the answers in this sweeping new look at Western civilization. How the West Won demonstrates the primacy of uniquely Western ideas-among them the belief in free will, the commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, the notion that the universe functions according to rational rules that can be discovered, and the emphasis on human freedom and secure property rights. How the West Won displays Stark's gifts for lively narrative history and making the latest scholarship accessible to all. This bold, insightful book will force you to rethink your understanding of the West and the birth of modernity-and to recognize that Western civilization really has set itself apart from other cultures.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49574136611089,"sku":"GOR009993654","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50022760743185,"sku":"CIN1610170857G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50075026784529,"sku":"CIN1610170857A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51828642906385,"sku":"CIN1610170857VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1610170857.jpg?v=1751214160"},{"product_id":"victory-of-reason-book-rodney-stark-9780812972337","title":"The Victory of Reason","description":"Many books have been written about the success of the West, analyzing why Europe was able to pull ahead of the rest of the world by the end of the Middle Ages. The most common explanations cite the West's superior geography, commerce, and technology. Completely overlooked is the fact that faith in reason, rooted in Christianity's commitment to rational theology, made all these developments possible. Simply put, the conventional wisdom that Western success depended upon overcoming religious barriers to progress is utter nonsense.In \u003cb\u003eThe Victory of Reason,\u003c\/b\u003e Rodney Stark advances a revolutionary, controversial, and long overdue idea- that Christianity and its related institutions are, in fact, directly responsible for the most significant intellectual, political, scientific, and economic breakthroughs of the past millennium. In Stark's view, what has propelled the West is not the tension between secular and nonsecular society, nor the pitting of science and the humanities against religious belief. Christian theology, Stark asserts, is the very font of reason- While the world's other great belief systems emphasized mystery, obedience, or introspection, Christianity alone embraced logic and reason as the path toward enlightenment, freedom, and progress. That is what made all the difference.In explaining the West's dominance, Stark convincingly debunks long-accepted \"truths.\" For instance, by contending that capitalism thrived centuries before there was a Protestant work ethic-or even Protestants-he counters the notion that the Protestant work ethic was responsible for kicking capitalism into overdrive. In the fifth century, Stark notes, Saint Augustine celebrated theological and material progress and the institution of \"exuberant invention.\" By contrast, long before Augustine, Aristotle had condemned commercial trade as \"inconsistent with human virtue\"-which helps further underscore that Augustine's times were not the Dark Ages but the incubator for the West's future glories. This is a sweeping, multifaceted survey that takes readers from the Old World to the New, from the past to the present, overturning along the way not only centuries of prejudiced scholarship but the antireligious bias of our own time. \u003cb\u003eThe Victory of Reason\u003c\/b\u003e proves that what we most admire about our world-scientific progress, democratic rule, free commerce-is largely due to Christianity, through which we are all inheritors of this grand tradition.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49576886796561,"sku":"GOR007602396","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49726006133009,"sku":"CIN0812972333G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49884928901393,"sku":"CIN0812972333VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50827018862865,"sku":"GOR005286745","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":51402334634257,"sku":"CIN0812972333A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53030520422673,"sku":"NIN9780812972337","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0812972333.jpg?v=1751138722"},{"product_id":"star-in-the-east-book-rodney-stark-9781599474878","title":"A Star in the East","description":"What is the state of Christianity in China? Some scholars say that China is invulnerable to religion. In contrast, others say that past efforts of missionaries have failed, writing off those converted as nothing more than “rice Christians” or cynical souls who had frequented the missions for the benefits they provided. Some wonder if the Cultural Revolution extinguished any chances of Christianity in China.    Rodney Stark and Xiuhua Wang offer a different perspective, arguing that Christianity is alive, well, and on the rise. Stark approaches the topic from an extensive research background in Christianity and Chinese history, and Wang provides an inside look at Christianity and its place in her home country of China. Both authors cover the history of religion in China, disproving older theories concerning the number of Christians and the kinds of Christians that have emerged in the past 155 years. Stark and Wang claim that when just considering the visible Christians-those not part of underground churches-thousands of Chinese are still converted to Christianity daily, and forty new churches are opening each week.   A Star in the East draws on two major national surveys to sketch a close-up of religion in China. A reliable estimate is that by 2007 there were approximately 60 million Christians in China. If the current growth rate were to hold until 2030, there would be more Christians in China-about 295 million-than in any other nation. This trend has significant implications, not just for China but for the greater world order. It is probable that Chinese Christianity will splinter into denominations, likely leading to the same political, social, and economic ramifications seen in the West today.    Whether you’re new to studying Christianity in China or whether this has been your area of interest for years, A Star in the East provides a reliable, thought-provoking, and engaging account of the resilience of the Christian faith in China and the implications it has for the future.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49627657371921,"sku":"GOR009896578","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52634444661009,"sku":"CIN1599474875VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1599474875.jpg?v=1761391728"},{"product_id":"god-s-battalions-book-rodney-stark-9780061582608","title":"God's Battalions","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis book takes on the current vogue in liberal thinking to argue that, in fact, the Crusades were not unprovoked. They were not the first round of European colonialism. They were not conducted for land, loot, or converts. The Crusaders were not barbarians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. They sincerely believed that they served in God's Battalions.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the wake of many recent books justifying Muslim holy wars by criticizing the historic use of violence by Christians, Stark presents the other side of the story. Drawing upon a wide variety of sources, Stark argues the facts and figures about why and how Christianity attempted to secure the Holy Lands and protect the safety of Christian pilgrims.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49667567649041,"sku":"GOR005441697","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49889966686481,"sku":"CIN0061582603G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50627427664145,"sku":"CIN0061582603VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50983056310545,"sku":"NIN9780061582608","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52679408976145,"sku":"NLS9780061582608","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53020188311825,"sku":"CIN0061582603A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0061582603.jpg?v=1751005001"},{"product_id":"rise-of-christianity-book-rodney-stark-9780691248042","title":"The Rise of Christianity","description":"A landmark reinterpretation of why Christianity became the dominant faith of the West  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 account of early Christianity.  The author plots the most plausible curve of Christian growth from the year 40 to 300. By the time of Constantine, Christianity had become a considerable force, with growth patterns very similar to those of modern-day successful religious movements. An unusual number of Christian converts, for example, came from the educated, cosmopolitan classes. Because it offered a new perspective on familiar concepts and was not linked to ethnicity, Christianity had a large following among persons seeking to assimilate into the dominant culture, mainly Hellenized Jews. The oversupply of women in Christian communities—due partly to the respect and protection they received—led to intermarriages with pagans, hence more conversions, and to a high fertility rate. Stark points out, too, the role played by selflessness and faith. Amidst the epidemics, fires, and other disasters that beleaguered Greco-Roman cities, Christian communities were a stronghold of mutual aid, which resulted in a survival rate far greater than that of the pagans. 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In this powerful and persuasive book Rodney Stark subjects these and other widely-held beliefs to a rigorous historical assessment. 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Why were the Jewish massacres by Christians concentrated in the cities along the Rhine River, and why did the pogroms by Muslims take place mainly in Granada? How could the Jews persist so long as a minority faith, able to withstand intense pressures to convert? Why did they sometimes assimilate? In the final chapter, Stark also examines the American experience to show that it is possible for committed monotheists to sustain norms of civility toward one another. A sweeping social history of religion, \"One True God\" shows how the great monotheisms shaped the past and created the modern world.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49795240460561,"sku":"CIN069108923XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49975241441553,"sku":"CIN069108923XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/069108923X.jpg?v=1750912247"},{"product_id":"sociology-book-rodney-stark-9780534569341","title":"Sociology","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49800123810065,"sku":"CIN053456934XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B000PEP9RK.jpg?v=1751135124"},{"product_id":"cities-of-god-the-real-story-of-how-christianity-became-an-urban-moveme-nt-and-c-book-rodney-stark-9780061349881","title":"Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Moveme nt and Conquered Rome","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow did the preaching of a peasant carpenter from Galilee spark a movement that would grow to include over two billion followers Who listened to this \"good news,\" and who ignored it Where did Christianity spread, and how Based on quantitative data and the latest scholarship, preeminent scholar and journalist Rodney Stark presents new and startling information about the rise of the early church, overturning many prevailing views of how Christianity grew through time to become the largest religion in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDrawing on both archaeological and historical evidence, Stark is able to provide hard statistical evidence on the religious life of the Roman Empire to discover the following facts that set conventional history on its head:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eContrary to fictions such as The Da Vinci Code and the claims of some prominent scholars, Gnosticism was not a more sophisticated, more authentic form of Christianity, but really an unsuccessful effort to paganize Christianity.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePaul was called the apostle to the Gentiles, but mostly he converted Jews.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePaganism was not rapidly stamped out by state repression following the vision and conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 312 AD, but gradually disappeared as people abandoned the temples in response to the superior appeal of Christianity.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe \"oriental\" faiths--such as those devoted to Isis, the Egyptian goddess of love and magic, and to Cybele, the fertility goddess of Asia Minor--actually prepared the way for the rapid spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eContrary to generations of historians, the Roman mystery cult of Mithraism posed no challenge to Christianity to become the new faith of the empire-- it allowed no female members and attracted only soldiers.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy analyzing concrete data, Stark is able to challenge the conventional wisdom about early Christianity offering the clearest picture ever of how this religion grew from its humble beginnings into the faith of more than one-third of the earth's population.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49884071395601,"sku":"GOR008686091","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50483999179025,"sku":"CIN0061349887G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50983050805521,"sku":"NIN9780061349881","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51566458142993,"sku":"CIN0061349887VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52137871737105,"sku":"NLS9780061349881","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0061349887.jpg?v=1751354785"},{"product_id":"sociology-book-rodney-stark-9780495093442","title":"Sociology","description":"SOCIOLOGY is truly a classic introductory text which introduces students to the methods and theories of sociology using Rodney Stark's hallmark Over the Shoulder of a professional sociologist approach, presenting sociology on a personal level. Stark describes what sociologists do and how they do it, focusing first on the questions they pose and how they search for and formulate their answers, and then moving on to study their answers and conclusions. 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Nowhere else did science and democracy arise; nowhere else was slavery outlawed. Only Westerners invented chimneys, musical scores, telescopes, eyeglasses, pianos, electric lights, aspirin, and soap. The question is, why? Unfortunately, that question has become so politically incorrect that most scholars avoid it. But acclaimed author Rodney Stark provides the answers in this sweeping new look at Western civilization. How the West Won demonstrates the primacy of uniquely Western ideas-among them the belief in free will, the commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, the notion that the universe functions according to rational rules that can be discovered, and the emphasis on human freedom and secure property rights. How the West Won displays Stark's gifts for lively narrative history and making the latest scholarship accessible to all. This bold, insightful book will force you to rethink your understanding of the West and the birth of modernity-and to recognize that Western civilization really has set itself apart from other cultures.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49919555010833,"sku":"CIN161017139XA","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50501271453969,"sku":"CIN161017139XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51745631895825,"sku":"CIN161017139XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51917571129617,"sku":"GOR010931537","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52864360218897,"sku":"NIN9781610171397","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/161017139X.jpg?v=1751057251"},{"product_id":"rise-of-christianity-book-rodney-stark-9780691027494","title":"The Rise of Christianity","description":"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 account of early Christianity. The author plots the most plausible curve of Christian growth from the year 40 to 300. By the time of Constantine, Christianity had become a considerable force, with growth patterns very similar to those of modern-day successful religious movements. An unusual number of Christian converts, for example, came from the educated, cosmopolitan classes. Because it offered a new perspective on familiar concepts and was not linked to ethnicity, Christianity had a large following among persons seeking to assimilate into the dominant culture, mainly Hellenized Jews. The oversupply of women in Christian communities--due partly to the respect and protection they received--led to intermarriages with pagans, hence more conversions, and to a high fertility rate. Stark points out, too, the role played by selflessness and faith. Amidst the epidemics, fires, and other disasters that beleaguered Greco-Roman cities, Christian communities were a stronghold of mutual aid, which resulted in a survival rate far greater than that of the pagans. In the meantime, voluntary martyrdom, especially a generation after the death of Christ, reinforced the commitment of the Christian rank and file. 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While his intent is not to insist that God exists, Stark limits religions to systems of thought based on belief in supernatural beings—to Gods.  With this God-focused theory, Stark explores the entire range of religious topics, including the rise of monotheism, the discovery of sin, causes of religious hostility and conflict, and the role of revelations.   Each chapter of Why God? builds a comprehensive framework, starting with the foundations of human motivations and ending with an explanation of why most people are religious. Stark ultimately settles what religion is, what it does, and why it is a universal feature of human societies. Why God? is a much needed guide for anyone who wants a thorough understanding of religion and our relationship to it, as well as a firm refutation to those who think religion can exist without the divine.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50093948010769,"sku":"CIN1599475200G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1599475200.jpg?v=1761389664"},{"product_id":"for-the-glory-of-god-book-rodney-stark-9780691119502","title":"For the Glory of God","description":"Rodney Stark's provocative new book argues that, whether we like it or not, people acting for the glory of God have formed our modern culture. 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He interprets the sixteenth-century flowering of science not as a sudden revolution that burst religious barriers, but as the normal, gradual, and direct outgrowth of medieval theology. He also shows that the very ideas about God that sustained the rise of science led also to intense witch-hunting by otherwise clear-headed Europeans, including some celebrated scientists. This conception of God likewise yielded the Christian denunciation of slavery as an abomination--and some of the fiercest witch-hunters were devoted participants in successful abolitionist movements on both sides of the Atlantic. For the Glory of God is an engrossing narrative that accounts for the very different histories of the Christian and Muslim worlds. 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A must-read for anyone interested in Americans' religious beliefs and practices.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50125184368913,"sku":"CIN1602581789G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50414436581649,"sku":"CIN1602581789VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1602581789.jpg?v=1765448375"},{"product_id":"america-s-blessings-book-rodney-stark-9781599474120","title":"America's Blessings","description":"A few years ago, a debate between atheists and religious believers spilled out from the halls of academia and the pews of America s churches and into the public spotlight. A crop of atheist manifestos led the charge, surmounting and holding the tops of the nonfiction bestseller lists. This offensive brought on an outpouring of religious rebuttals. As both sides exchanged spirited volleys, accusations were leveled; myths, stereotypes, and strawmen arguments were perpetuated; and bitter hostility filled the air. Today many of these misconceptions and myths linger on, along with the generally acrimonious spirit of the debate.In \u003ci\u003eAmerica s Blessings\u003c\/i\u003e, distinguished researcher Rodney Stark seeks to clear the air of this hostility and debunk many of the debate s most widely perpetuated misconceptions by drawing from an expansive pool of sociological findings. Looking at the measurable effects of religious faith and practice on American society, Stark rises above the fray and focuses exclusively on facts. His findings may surprise many, atheists and believers alike.Starting with a historical overview, Stark traces America s religious roots from the founding of the country up through the present day, showing that religiosity in America has never been consistent, static, or monolithic. Interestingly, he finds that religious practice is now more prevalent than ever in America, despite any claims to the contrary. From here, Stark devotes whole chapters to unpacking the latest research on how religion affects different facets of modern American life, including crime, family life, sexuality, mental and physical health, sophistication, charity, and overall prosperity. The cumulative effect is that when translated into comparisons with western European nations, the United States comes out on top again and again. Thanks in no small part to America s rich religious culture, the nation has far lower crime rates, much higher levels of charitable giving, better health, stronger marriages, and less suicide, to note only a few of the benefits. In the final chapter, Stark assesses the financial impact of these religious realities. It turns out that belief benefits the American economy and all 300 million citizens, believer and nonbeliever alike by a conservative estimate of $2.6 trillion a year. Despite the atheist outcry against religion, the remarkable conclusion is clear: all Americans, from the most religious among us to our secular neighbors, really ought to count our blessings.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50248144224529,"sku":"CIN1599474123G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52631638245649,"sku":"CIN1599474123VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1599474123.jpg?v=1751310081"},{"product_id":"discovering-god-book-rodney-stark-9780061173899","title":"Discovering God","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscovering God is a monumental history of the origins of the major religions of the world, from the Stone Age to the modern era. Sociologist Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of spiritual traditions, including the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; the great \"Axial Age\" of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha; and the modern Christian missions and global spread of Islam. He argues for a \"free-market\" theory of religion and the controversial thesis that under the best, unimpeded conditions, most true and authentic religions will survive and thrive. Stark also argues that our capacity to understand God that has evolved over time, and that humans now know much more about God than they ever did.\u003c\/p\u003e Rodney Stark is professor of Social Sciences at Baylor University. His twenty-six books on the history and sociology of religion include The Rise of Christianity, One True God: Historical Consequences of Monotheism, For the Glory of God, which won the 2004 award of merit for history\/biography from Christianity Today, and The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success.\"A highly provocative book, proposing a model for interaction among the study of religions, theological methodologies, and the social and physical sciences. A daring departure from many of the traditional treatments of such matters.\"- Justo L. 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