Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome

Rodney Stark

May 2020 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Bob Souer

About this audiobook

How did the preaching of a peasant carpenter from Galilee spark a movement that would grow to include over two billion followers? Who listened to this "good news," and who ignored it? Where did Christianity spread, and how? Based on quantitative data and the latest scholarship, preeminent scholar and journalist Rodney Stark presents new and startling information about the rise of the early church, overturning many prevailing views of how Christianity grew through time to become the largest religion in the world. Drawing on both archaeological and historical evidence, Stark is able to provide hard statistical evidence on the religious life of the Roman Empire to discover the facts that set conventional history on its head. By analyzing concrete data, Stark is able to challenge the conventional wisdom about early Christianity offering the clearest picture ever of how this religion grew from its humble beginnings into the faith of more than one-third of the earth's population.

About the author

Rodney Stark is professor of sociology and of comparative religion at the University of Washington. He is the author of many books, including The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History and, with Roger Finke, Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion.

Bob Souer is a full-time professional storyteller and narrator. He has narrated numerous audiobooks, as well as broadcast and nonbroadcast projects for corporations and ministries across North America. You've heard Bob's voice on CBS, PBS, the History Channel, and many other networks.