Rodney Stark
Rodney Stark
Rodney William Starkis an American sociologist of religion who was a long time professor of sociology and of comparative religion at the University of Washington. He is presently the Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University, co-director of the university's Institute for Studies of Religion, and founding editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTheologian
CountryUnited States of America
commit high keeps levels likely men proven risky tendency toward turning
High testosterone levels have been proven to make men more likely to commit crimes. The tendency in men toward risky behaviour keeps turning up even where socialization is different, and so does crime and delinquency.
believes capacity fully gain god himself human humans image rational revealing
The Christian image of God is that of a rational being who believes in human progress, more fully revealing himself as humans gain the capacity to better understand.
celebrated divine gain greater insight leading means might
Leading Christian theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas were not what today might be called 'strict constructionists.' Rather, they celebrated reason as the means to gain greater insight into divine intentions.
mormons skip work
Mormons are an extraordinarily educated and professional population. They have all these virtues: They work hard, don't skip school, have no scandals. Consequently, you find them in a lot of consequential places.
absolute encourage great modern myth religion scientists social technology
The great myth that many social scientists want to encourage is that there is an incompatibility between modern technology and traditional religion. This is absolute nonsense. If anything, it's the reverse.
appeal basis critics dramatic enjoy fine inch mile music people services sunday thrive wide wish
There are many critics who think the megachurches thrive on people who enjoy dramatic Sunday services with fine music but don't wish to become very 'religious' on a day-to-day basis - that the megachurch appeal is a mile wide and an inch deep.
followers jewish learned obscure remained
Had the followers of Jesus remained an obscure Jewish sect, most of you would not have learned to read, and the rest of you would be reading from hand-copied scrolls.
members people
The more members of the clergy that are out there working to expand their congregations, the more people will go to church.
state
Wherever you've got a state church, you have empty churches.
act catholics decline miss sin vatican
There was only one decline in church attendance, and that was in the late 1960s when the Vatican said it was not a sin to miss Mass. They said Catholics could act like Protestants, and so they did.
met
A whole lot of Americans have never met a Mormon.
bring churches hard people reaching work
American churches work very hard at reaching out to people to bring them in.
guys harder knows minister ought women
Every minister knows it's harder to get the guys to church than the women. We ought to be asking why this is.
attend belong display high level
Those who belong to megachurches display as high a level of personal commitment as do those who attend small congregations.