Astral Codex Ten Podcast Book Review: The Rise Of Christianity
Nov 28, 2024
Dive into the astonishing transformation of Christianity from a mere thousand followers in 40 AD to a staggering forty million by 400 AD. Explore the role of social dynamics over miracles in this rapid growth. Learn about the cultural clashes between Orthodox Jews and Gentiles that shaped early practices. Discover how declining Roman fertility and changing family roles contributed to the rise of Christianity. Finally, see how early martyrs and compassionate community acts during plagues fueled conversions and set the stage for a new religious era.
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Puzzling Rise of Christianity
- Christianity's rise is puzzling, going from a small persecuted sect to a dominant religion.
- This growth is comparable to everyone becoming Scientologists by 2300 AD.
Steady Growth, Not Miracles
- Early Christianity's growth can be explained by steady exponential growth, not mass conversions.
- This is similar to Mormonism's growth, suggesting a plausible 40% per decade rate.
Moonies and Social Graphs
- The first Mooney in America, Young Eun Kim, converted her landlady, then her friends and network.
- Rodney Stark observed that early converts rarely attracted strangers, emphasizing social connections.
