I borrowed this fascinating book at the OMF Guesthouse in Bangkok while we staying there. It is an attempt by a social scientist to explain the rapid rise of Christianity, as the title suggests, “How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries”.
As far as I can tell the author, Stark is not a Christian. He estimates that there were 1,000 Christians at 40A.D and just over 33 million by 350 A.D (which was 56% of the population of the world at the time). This kind of growth requires 40% growth every decade. Sounds very dramatic but this works out in the following numbers.
No. of Christians
100 A.D. 7,530
200 A.D 217,000
300 A.D 6.3 million
350 A.D 33.9 million
Surprising, Stark reveals that the Mormons have grown at a rate of 43% per decade for the last century!
Stark then introduces social science's explanations for people converting to minority religions such as sects and cults. He and a colleague went and observed people converting to the Moonies, in particular a group started by Yong Oon Kim in 1959 in Oregon, America.
[Miss Kim tried to spread her message by talks to various groups, press releases. radio spots and renting a hall for public meetings. These methods yielded nothing. “the only ones who joined were those who interpersonal attachments to members overbalanced their attachments to nonmembers. In effect, conversion is not about seeking or embracing an ideology; it is about bringing one’s religious behaviour into alignment with that of one’s friends and family members.” (p16-17.)
“attachment lie at the heart of conversion and therefore that conversion tends to proceed along social networks formed by interpersonal attachments”
“Conversion to new, deviant religious groups occurs when, other things being equal, people have or develop stronger attachments to members of the group than they have to nonmembers.” (p.18).
Data based on records kept by a Mormon mission president gives powerful support to this proposition. “When missionaries make cold calls, knock on the doors of strangers, this eventually leads to conversion once out of a thousand calls. However, when missionaries make their first contact with a person in the home of a Mormon friend or relative of that person, this results in conversion 50% of the time.” (p.18).]
What do you think? In your experience is this true? Stark is talking about people making a major religious shift from say Christianity to Hinduism, rather than how life long Christians are born again.
Stark has many other very interesting observations which will follow in future posts.
Stark, Rodney. 1996. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Posts
2 comments:
Stark's research should make us very vigilent in helping people understand the true nature of the Gospel and looking for signs of genuine grief and sorrow for their sin, and repentance, and appreciation of the grace of God in Christ. Otherwise, how will we (or they!) know if their "conversion" is genuine or just a reflection of social psychological forces? Stark seems to be indicating that mass conversion in Europe (or Utah) has to do with social forces and not with anything supernatural (like God). And I believe it! Europe (especially from Constantine forward) has been a disaster of nominal Christianity that has little more than an outward ritual social role in holding nations together. Sure, we need to build relationships to share the Gospel and be good witness but let us not mistake people liking us more than their relatives for genuine Christian conversion.
Dear Karl,
For me, the implications of Stark's research is for our evangelism strategies. It suggests that we should be focusing on friends and family members of existing Christians rather than those with no existing relationships because socially they are more likely to convert. Yes, conversion is ultimately God's grace, and we shouldn't neglect people just because they are unlikely to respond to the Gospel. But we do need focus in our evangelism and not think that just by the act of going out and preaching the gospel (without thought to who we preach to and the context) that this will be the most effective means of bringing people to Christ. Paul didn't preach the Gospel just anywhere. He had a strategy to go to major cities and to focus on Synagogues initially etc. Stark's research helps us in thinking through our strategies in like of social science. It helps us understand people better and who might be more interested in Christianity. We don't have the resources or the time to evangelise everyone so we need to concentrate on those who are more likely to be responsive.
Rich
Post a Comment