Tag: Rodney Stark
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Living Simply in Abundance (20)
We have reviewed the concept of subsidiarity and the importance of the family. But what about single folks? What about nuclear families who are isolated from family support systems? There are needs for relationships beyond the family. Voluntary associations are one way we connect. Educational associations, youth sports leagues, hobby groups, service groups, and political…
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Rodney Stark: Cities of God
Euangelion (Michael Bird): Rodney Stark: Cities of God During my doctoral studies I came across Rodney Stark's book The Rise of Christianity which had some interesting comments on the emergence of Christianity. There was some good stuff on conversion theory as well as Stark's interesting proposal that the Christian mission to Jews was actually a…
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Reason and Theology
In light of the uproar over the Pope's comments, I thought the following might be of interest. From The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success by Rodney Stark (Pages 8-9). Judaism and Islam also embrace an image of God sufficient to sustain theology, but their scholars have tended not…
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Theology and Economics: Scientific Rationalism
The second factor that led to unprecedented prosperity, according to William J. Bernstein, is reason, specifically science. (1) While I agree with Bernstein about the centrality of reason to the expansion of prosperity, I differ with him on his analysis of the origins of scientific rationalism. Bernstein subscribes to a widely held view that places…
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“The Victory of Reason” Book Review
We all know how capitalism came to be. Thrifty Reformed Protestants planted seeds in the Sixteenth Century. The much-touted "Protestant Work Ethic" sanctioned hard work, frugality, and wise investment. As these thrifty Protestants became successful and the secularizing effects of the Enlightenment took place, capitalism began to enter full bloom. This thesis has been taught…