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"--
Review Quotes: "Brilliant. . . . Using what is known about contemporary religious cults and the principles of social science, Stark fills many blanks in the historical and archeological records. The result is a fresh, blunt and highly persuasive account of how the West was won--for Jesus."---Kenneth L. Woodward, Newsweek