A study of the early history of Christianity reveals that it attracted members of the upper class, that many of the early converts were women and marginalized Jews, and that it helped converts achieve happier lives. Reprint. LJ. PW.[...]

Will Mormonism be the next world faith, one that will rival Catholicism, Islam, and other major religions in terms of numbers and global appeal? This was the question Rodney Stark addressed in his much-discussed and much-debated article, "The Rise of a New World Faith" (1984), one of several essays [...]

Finally, social scientists have begun to attempt to understand religious behavior rather than to discredit it as irrational, ignorant, or foolish--and Rodney Stark and Roger Finke have played a major role in this new approach. Acknowledging that science cannot assess the supernatural side of religio[...]

Western history would be unrecognizable had it not been for people who believed in One True God. There would have been wars, but no religious wars. There would have been moral codes, but no Commandments. Had the Jews been polytheists, they would today be only another barely remembered people, less i[...]

A critical analysis of the important role of Christianity in the history of the West argues that the Christian faith's emphasis on reason, progress, moral equality, and freedom led to technological innovation, the rise of science, open political institutions, democracy, and capitalism, paving the wa[...]

This software/workbook package by top-notch sociologist and best selling author Rodney Stark shows students what it takes to do real sociological research, using the same data and techniques used by professional researchers. The workbook's step-by-step approach includes explanations of basic researc[...]

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[...]

What is the state of Christianity in China, really? Some scholars say that China is invulnerable to religion. Some say that past efforts of missionaries have failed, writing off those who were converted as nothing more than rice Christians, or cynical souls who had frequented the missions for the be[...]