Loading...One modern explanation for why Christianity overcame all the pagan religions of the Roman world is that it provided better health care than anyone else, leading to its greater survival rate. I have to admit, when I first read about this, I thought “Whoa! Never heard THAT one before!”
It’s an intriguing thesis and, I think, almost certainly wrong. But intriguing nonetheless! Here’s what I say about it in Triumph of Christianity (Simon & Schuster, 2018), briefly edited for our purposes here.
******************************
One benefit of joining the church recently touted as particularly important for Christian growth was the availability of better health care. This was one of the many controversial proposals set forth by sociologist of modern religion Rodney Stark, in his popular discussion, The Rise of Christianity,[1]
Stark applies his sociological training to the question and makes some intriguing suggestions. He points out that
Get access to Dr. Ehrman's library of 4,000+ articles plus five new articles per week about the New Testament and early Christianity. It costs as little as $2.99/mth and every cent goes to charity!
Unlock 4,000+ Articles Like This!
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.