Plagues, Pagans, and Christians: Differential Survival, Social Networks, and the Rise of Christianity

Abstract

In his book, The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark argues that the early Christian church indirectly benefitted from the plagues that struck the early Roman Empire in the 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Common Era. In particular, he argues that the early church's doctrines concerning love, charity, and social service would have led Christians to enjoy higher survival rates than pagans, which would have left the social networks of the former relatively intact, while those of the latter in disarray. Moreover, since recruitment to new religious movements occurs largely through social ties, the probability that an average pagan would have converted to Christianity would have been greater after the plagues than before. In this article, we use computer modeling to test Stark's hypothesis. Not only do we find support for his hypothesis, we also show that higher survival rates for either group not only would have benefitted their respective social networks but also would have benefitted their competitor's social networks, highlighting how network effects often flow in multiple and unexpected ways. We conclude with suggestions for future research, in particular how scholars can build upon our analyses and explore alternative assumptions.

Embracing an embodied theology in the time of corona: Mimetic synchronisation with the theological rhythms and first responder stance of the apostle Paul during the time of famine

“…During these times, local Christian communities were strongholds of mutual assistance and caregiving, which resulted in a survival rate far greater than that of others (cf. also Everton & Schroeder 2019).…”

Importance of Religion after Adversity

“…Thus, natural disasters are times in which religious networks need to “prove themselves”. Especially severe disasters are thereby also potential times of religious crises, when competing religions can “muscle out” those that are seen to fail the community (Everton and Schroeder 2019). Stark (1997), for example, emphasized that two disastrous epidemics increased the shift away from paganism towards Christianity during the Roman Empire due to paganism's inability to confront those crises socially and spiritually.…”