a review by Der Stepanos Dingilian, Ph.D.

    Dr. Stark describes how Christianity grew from a small sect in the 30’s of the first century C.E. to the dominant faith only 300 years later. Professor Stark uses historical documents to show that the power of Christianity lay in how it raised the importance and value of the family and strengthened the community unity. For example, in pagan circles, faithfulness between husband and wife was rare. Having more than one marital partner in life was very common in Rome, especially since women were generally considered as second-class citizens and viewed as commodity. Children or their nurturing were hardly seen as important issues in life. In fact, abortion, infanticide, and abandoning children to others were not only a common occurrence, but justified, accepted and lawful. It is no wonder that there was very little support, unity, and cooperation within the community. Professor Stark quotes from sources describing how the lay and pagan religious leaders, and even physicians abandoned the cities to find refuge in far away countries when a number of major epidemics struck the Roman Empire. The huge Roman cities were so deserted that they literally had to relocate people from other healthier parts of the Empire in order to replenish these major cities.

Dr. Stark contrasts the above pagan way of life and reaction to epidemics with that of the Christian response. He points to the emphasis that St. Paul placed on strengthening the family and unifying the community as the practical and necessary steps that empowered and differentiated the new Christian community from the rest of the Roman Empire. For example, women were respected and educated within the Christian community. The emphasis was placed on marrying once and for husband and wife to remain faithful to each other, even if one of them died early in life. Children were no longer seen as accidental irrelevant byproducts of a man-woman relationship, but as a means to serving God and making an eternal difference in His Kingdom. Remaining steadfast in the face of epidemics, healing the sick instead of abandoning them, and maintaining the family and community became the inviting point of the Christian faith. It was clear for the Emperor Constantine in the early 300’s that if he were to have a long lasting and growing civilization, the Christian faith was the only option he had to bring unity, progress and long term growth to his degenerating and deteriorating empire. More than simply the blood of the martyrs, Professor Stark points out, it was the unity, cooperation and perseverance of the families and communities to raise their children and future generations in the Christian Way of Life that turned Christianity from a sect into the major dominating faith of the Empire.

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