Book Description
The Dutch Golden Age, the age of Grotius, Spinoza, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and a host of other renowned artists and writers was also remarkable for its immense impact in the spheres of commerce, finance, shipping, and technology. It was in fact one of the most spectacularly creative episodes in the history of the world. Jonathan Israel gives the definitive account of the emergence of the United Provinces as a great power, and explains the subsequent decline in the eighteenth century. He places the thought, politics, religion, and social developments of the Golden Age in their broad context, and examines the changing relationship between the northern Netherlands and the south, which was to develop into modern Belgium.
Customer Reviews:
Truly Splendid.......2005-08-12
This book truly is the difinitive work on Dutch history. The sheer volume and description of detail makes the book very informative. The vivid writing style and the subdivision of the chapters gives the reader the ability to speed through the book in addition to breaking down and digesting each main idea clearly. The maps, charts, and graphs are clear and give the reader an illustration to the detail of the text. Also, the explanation of the Dutch Republican government, which is anything but simple, was clear and precise. I plan on using this book in my classes for reference. A truly great book.
For all of you Dutch I have only one word "READ !!!!!".......2003-02-10
The best historybook I have ever read with no doubt. I think in a small 1300 pages I never learned so much about my own history than I learned in the 2 weeks I spend to read this book. By now I have read it 3 times and if only have time I would pick ip up and read it again and again till I can dream whats in there. The 17th & 18th century is with no doubt one of the most interesting parts in the history of the world. Strangely it was my own country that played the most important role in this very interesting time.
And so many Dutch that earn the right to be named here, so many founders of our nations. Perhaps to them this is the most honarable a man could ever do to them, since they are all named in the book and how !!! I think about John Van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo De Groot, John & Cornelius De Witt, Micheal De Ruyter, Rembrandt Van Rijn and last but not least Spinoza !!
An amazing achievement that will set out to be THE standard work about the Republic for years to come.
I have read the Dutch version, and that one is a really special one, seperated in 2 books, hardcover !! And everty page printed on photopaper, beautifully released !!! So when you are Dutch you can beter go to a local bookstore to get the Dutch version, since its simply more beautifull, although the price (about $ 130,- is another thing that can keep you away from it.) is worth it every penny !! You will not be regreted.
For non Dutch people, when you want to come over and tour our little nice country, be sure to read this book from beginning till end and back. It will tell you everything you ever need to know to understand our culture & history.
Flawed but Interesting Book.......2001-08-27
This is a frustrating book to review. It is one of the worst-edited books I have read in a long time, yet it contains a wealth of intersting information. It is comprehensive and well-enough explained to interest a lay reader, but it is difficult to read beyond what is necessary given the dryness of the subject matter. First, the good: Israel presents almost a year-by-year discussion of Dutch politics, economics, and demographics. His presentation is highly detailed, generally offering his arguments first, then backing them up with substantial data. Israel has pulled together statistics of population growth, economic activity, and political positions in a wealth of tables. Finally, he defines his terms clearly, then uses them consistently. Now, the bad: This is one of the worst-edited books I can imagine. Israel's excessive use of commas in the most inappropriate places makes reading this work a chore. His meaning is obscured by the incorrect use of punctuation. In short, his editor should [have done a better editing job]. Second, the editing goes downhill toward the end of the book. Whereas the first 2/3 of the text clearly presents the major political events, then follows them with the appropriate economic, social, and demographic consequences, the latter part of the book reverses this presentation. This leaves the reader to infer major political events (like the French invasion of 1792-1794) from the discussion of demographics, economics, or social trends. A consequence of this decline in editing is that the explanation of why the Dutch republic declined is not presented clearly. If the reader pays close attention and has a good grounding in economics, he can understand what must have been going on behind the scenes. But the big story of the sudden decline of one of the major maritime powers in the world is not clearly told. Finally, Israel often uses text where a table would be more appropriate. He will take three pages to go through the voting record of each city in each province, rather than summarize the data in a table. The 1100 pages of the book could easily be reduced by several hundred without impacting the support of Israel's arguments and make the book much more readable in the process.
Comprehensive, learned but dull history.......2000-02-13
Professor Israel's book is the first volume in what is clearly intended to be a new series of definitive texts, Oxford University Press's History of Early Modern Europe. The book is certainly superbly produced (albeit a bit short of maps), and is packed with information on a fascinating subject. No doubt the Dutch achievement in the seventeenth century was amazing - after rebelling from Spain the Dutch turned themselves into a world power,became the freest and most advanced society in Europe (although Dutch freedom had its limits, as Professor Israel makes clear) and produced a galaxy of stunning artists - Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals etc. All this based on nothing but hard work and daring, and founded on a country that Dutchmen made themselves - "God made the world, but the Dutch made Holland", as they say. So a great subject, a magnificent looking book, and a first rate scholar who really knows his stuff and who has published a number of excellent books. And yet, it doesn't quite get there...I don't agree with those who say that this book is in the same league as Simon Schama's. I am a historian, but found the book very hard going. I think one problem was the author's obsessive focus on the internal rivalries of the Dutch provinces and towns. By the time the states of Friesland and the States of Zeeland and the States of Holland and the States-General had all fallen out with themselves yet again for the umpteenth time my eyes were starting to glaze over...I'm sure it's very important to understanding Dutch history but I felt the material on internal rivalries and jealousies needed to be shortened and the issues clarified for the non-specialist. As well as being overburdened with material on internal politics other aspects of the Dutch achievement were covered very sketchily. I was surprised for such a large book to have so little on the Dutch seaborne empire - Israel is mainly interested in the VOC as a factor in Dutch internal politics. There is one chapter on the overseas empire but it is not very detailed and Israel is clearly not especially interested in it. As a citizan of a country named, after all, after a Dutch province and whose first European discoverer was a Dutchman I was disappointed to see so little on the DUtch in North America, Brazil, Ceylon, South Africa and the East Indies. The book is essentially a detailed internal political history of the Seven Provinces in 1100 pages. I also would have liked to know more about art and literature. Perhaps the book basically reflects a tendency in modern European historical writing to focus on internal politics and European affairs and to minimise and downplay the European overseas empires. For a great world seapower like the Netherlands this seems very limiting. Older works on the Dutch empire by C R Boxer and others still remain essential reading.
Not for beginners.......2000-01-27
I am afraid I have to disagree with my fellow readers. Israel's account of the rise and fall of the Dutch Republic is exhaustive and certainly impressive, but it is a difficult read. This book is for only those with a burning interest in the subject and a willingness to tolerate dry, academic prose.
I learned a lot, which was my goal, but not without some, in my judgment, unnecessary frustration. Too often, Israel assumes that the reader has a much deeper knowledge of the subject matter than I believe is warranted. He frequently makes use of terms and refers to historical characters that are not explained until much later in the text. The organization of the chapters within each section does not help. It would have been better, I think, to begin each section with an overview of political events and follow with broader commentary on Dutch society and religious development, for example. This way the reader could put the latter into the context of the former. Israel does this in his section, "The Early Golden Age", but not with "The Later Golden Age." The narrative flow suffers as a result. Someone more expert in Dutch history would not find this a problem, but if this is to be the definitive and most accessible account of the rise and fall of the Dutch Republic, as the professional critic suggests, then it is a serious flaw.
I have a bias towards maps. I think history books should include a lot of them. They help readers place events. This book could use more, but the real problem here is that the maps Oxford's editors did produce for Israel are of poor quality.
In short, this is a book for the serious student of Dutch history and not for those looking for a good, accessible introduction to the subject. Turn to Israel after reading a book that provides such an introduction.
Book Description
This book offers a vivid, compelling history of the first thousand years of Christianity. Ranging across the Christian world from China to Iceland, the narrative illustrates the diversity of Christian beliefs and practices. It also places the rise of Christianity in the context of other religious traditions, especially Islam. The author draws penetrating portraits of individuals and communities, from St Patrick and the Irish church to the Christian communities of Armenia and Mesopotamia.For the second edition, the book has been thoroughly rewritten and expanded. It includes two new chapters, on monasticism and Irish Christianity. The author has also added an extensive preface in which he reflects on the scholarly traditions that have influenced his work and explains his current thinking about the book's themes. The new edition contains new maps, a substantial bibliography, and a number of chronological tables to orient the reader.
Customer Reviews:
I read this for a class.......2006-11-27
I had this book for a class on Medieval Europe. This book was our main text for the first half of the course and I spent quite a bit of those two months reading this book... I probably would have liked this book more had I had longer to read and understand it. It's arranged in a very confusing way and it's terrible to write essays over. My professor said that Peter Brown is brilliant, and I think he probably really is. Unfortunatly, I was too lost to appreciate it. If things were arranged more chronologically and if some clear distinctions were made in people groups this book would be more greatly appreciated.
Excellent book -.......2006-01-15
The book goes beyond the rather narrow sounding scope of the title; Brown nicely covers the changes in politics and economics that fostered (or hindered) the spead of Christianity from Ireland to the Middle East. The subject matter is cogently presented and enjoyable to read, unlike other scholarship of this era where authors tend to prove to the reader how much they know leaving the reader somewhat in the dust. Fascinating (at least to me!) is the number of texts that Brown cites that show the changes in orthodoxy from one century to another in various geographical areas, and how those texts came to be preserved. Conclusions are based on either these texts or archiology, not flights of a priori fantasy that all-too-often formed the basis for earlier works on this period. All in all, a book of great scholarship, but most approachable.
A great writer produces unreadable prose.......2005-10-10
Let me say first that I have been a great admirer of Peter Brown for many years. His "World of Late Antiquity" was a seminal work that inspired a generation of scholars to look past the tired old concepts of the fall of the Roman empire, and his biography of Augustine, recently updated, is magnificent.
It was with some excitement then that I sat down to see what Brown had to say in a work that covers a larger span of time than most of his previous studies. And it was with a sinking heart that I realized, after a few pages, that this one-time master of prose has lost his way.
In his lengthy introduction, Brown seems determined to undermine every preconception we may have about Europe's evolution in late antiquity and the early middle ages. To reinforce his point, he puts quotation marks around a myriad of words and phrases: "Roman", "barbarian", "imperial", "Western." For a page or two this seems like a reasonable way of signalling that these words may not mean what we think they mean. But the trouble is, he never stops: the quotation marks multiply, sometimes occurring a dozen times on a page, and seldom less than once per paragraph. And it becomes impossible to know what he is trying to signify. If he finds words like "Roman" and "barbarian" useful, why doesn't he simply define what he means by them, rather than distancing himself from them? It seems pointless to contrast barbarian and Roman, if you believe that the one is not really barbarian, and the other not really Roman.
And it gets worse. What are we to make of the fact that Irish kings ruled over "plains"? Do the quotation marks signify that the kings called them by that term (or its Gaelic equivalent), or that they were not really plains? Why the quotes around "Carolingian minuscule", not just on introduction but in subsequent references -- was the script not truly Carolingian, or not truly minuscule?
I don't know who should take the most blame here, Brown for repeatedly flagging words as not meaning what we think they mean, without bothering to find alternatives that he feels are more accurate, or his editor for letting him get away with it.
I realize other readers may not be as bothered by this sort of thing as I am, but I found it baffling and, ultimately, offputting. I seldom return a book, and I never thought I would return one of Peter Brown's, but that is what I did in this case.
Deep and wide.......2005-07-23
Peter Brown first came to my attention through his scholarship in the study of Augustine, one of my particular interests in the field of church history. His biography of Augustine is considered one of the standards, having been written first in the 1960s, and revised for the turn of the millennium in 2000. This speaks to the length of his career and involvement with the study of church history generally, of which this volume is a wonderful survey.
This book, 'The Rise of Western Christendom', looks at the first 1000 years (the first half of Christian history). Despite its title, it does not focus exclusively on the idea of Christianity as a Western phenomenon. One of the great strengths of this historical survey, as opposed to many of the previous generation, is that it does not stop at the borders of Rome, nor does it take a linear progression approach to the history. Brown preserves the diversity inherent in the original church, showing the growth in Latin and Greek areas, as well as other areas that would arise such as the Antioch/Aleppo area, where Coptic and Syriac were significant languages, and art, architecture, liturgical development and scholarship thrived for centuries as a major centre for Christianity. Brown also discusses 'mirco-Christendoms', pockets both within and outside of the original Roman Imperial borders where Christianity was planted and grew more or less independently of central authority and direction.
To understand the history of Western Europe (of which this volume is part of a series on the topic), one must have a wider perspective than just the goings-on that took place on the European continental mainland. Indeed, from the very first lines, Brown starts with the city of Edessa, located in the ancient Fertile Crescent area, and the ancient capital of Ctesiphon, a city located very near modern-day Baghdad, which ruled a powerful empire that did not include any of the European continent, but which had profound influence over the peoples and empires on the European continent for centuries. Also included in Brown's history are peripheral figures - barbarians, farmers, frontierspeople - who often get overlooked in favour of the royal/imperial lines of history.
Brown looks both at individuals and institutions in his historical development and analysis. Individuals such as Augustine, the Cappadocian Fathers, Patrick, Clovis, Justinian and others are prominent, but the overall development of institutions and communities takes the larger portion of the text. There are major innovations such as monasticism and the rise of central church authorities and structures, and smaller institutions such as community governments. Brown includes the various tales of conversion for the different nations (the deliberations of the Icelanders, for example, versus the more forced conversions of the Norse) as well as the theological and administrative variations and homogenisation in the more central Mediterranean region. Brown also deals with the rise of Islam, the varying ways in which Christian communities and Muslim communities interacted and clashed, sometimes violently, but sometimes coming to mutually beneficial accords.
This is a book for students and scholars, although the general interest reader with a curiosity for church history and how it fits into the larger historical frame will also find this text useful. There are maps scattered throughout the text, as well as charts and tables. The book includes extensive endnotes for the scholar, but reading through the narrative does not depend upon them (saving one from having to flip back and forth endlessly). There is an appendix entitled 'Coordinated Chronological Tables' that traces the history from circa 100 - 1000, showing important events in the East, West, British Isles, and Scandanavia. A 44-page bibliography (one third primary sources, the rest secondary sources) and 27-page index round out the scholarship tools, making this an incredibly useful reference resource.
This book is often used at my seminary for the first half of church history, and is used at many schools (undergraduate and graduate level) for history courses generally. Brown's text is engaging and clear, easy to follow and well developed. It is a pleasure to read in addition to being interesting in material and presentation. Brown's text had both depth and breadth, not sacrificing one aspect for the other, but managing to hold both in good proportion to the other.
Origins and developments in the western tradition.......2004-03-25
Professor Brown has substantially revised The Rise of Western Christendom, originally published in 1996 as part of the "Making of Europe" series edited by Jacques Le Goff. The result is a much stronger work, which will appeal to scholars of Late Antiquity more than the first edition while still captivating the general reader.
In the second edition Brown continues to treat the localization of Christianity in regions from the North Atlantic to Asia. He describes how Irishmen, Saxons, and others transferred to their homeland relics, styles of art and architecture, and ecclesiastical customs, thus believing that they "had brought to their own region a 'microcosm' which reflected, with satisfactory completeness, the 'macrocosm' of a worldwide Christianity. . . . They strove to cancel out the hiatus between 'center' and 'periphery' by making 'little Romes' available on their home ground" (15). Brown calls the local variations of a broader Christianity "micro-Christendoms." In his characterization of the British Isles, he writes "The religious leaders of every region claimed to possess at home a set of customs and doctrines which were ultimately derived from 'true' centers of Christian learning and practice in a wider world" (359). Through statements like this, Brown tries to erase the model of thinking about Christianity in terms of "center" and "periphery," a theory he borrows from anthropology and religious studies.
Yet, by entitling the work The Rise of Christianity in the West, the author reifies the notion of Christianity as a "western" phenomenon although a significant portion of the book treats the localization and perpetuation of Christianity in non-western regions such as Syria and Persia. In fact, his discussion of the climate of competition among religions in the East is every bit as penetrating as his examination of the West. A more fitting title to this abolition of core-periphery, therefore, might be Micro-Christendoms: Christianity and Diversity from 200-1000.
The first edition received mixed reviews. One historian of Late Antiquity wrote that ". . . the exuberance and delight inherent in his interpretation . . . ought to make this book attractive and influential" (Journal of Theological Studies 48.2 [1997], 671), while another scholar of the period claimed that "its picture is skewed, and its conclusions are not demonstrated" (American Historical Review 102.5 [1997], 1463). With this second edition, Brown will continue to elicit criticism from those believing that he is too theory-oriented at the expense of doing proper "positivist" work. On the other hand, many of the problems which scholars of Late Antiquity pointed out in the first edition focused on the lack of documentation, and it is here, among other places, that the second edition enhances the work. Although the original had no notes, this version has sixty pages detailing the author's sources. The first edition had a seven-page [End Page 139] bibliography with no primary sources; the second contains a forty-four page bibliography, including eleven pages of primary sources.
Another way in which Brown improves the second edition is by adding two new chapters, "Powerhouses of Prayer: Monasticism in Western Europe" and "The Making of Sapiens: Religion and Culture in Continental Europe and in Ireland." He also amends his chapter "Christianity in Asia" and renames it "Christianity in Asia and the Rise of Islam." And he divides the chapter "Christianities of the North: Ireland and Saxon Britain" into two separate chapters, treating local Christianity in each region more fully.
Furthermore, Brown refines the layout of the visual aids and adds to them. The first edition contained four maps at the beginning of the book whereas the second has ten maps placed strategically throughout the body of the text to correspond to the geographical areas under discussion. Likewise, the second edition has chronologies arranged within the narrative to give the reader a point of reference for the persons, places, and events being examined. These additions allow the reader to organize and contextualize the contents, a point which is especially helpful since the book covers such a broad period and has a vast regional scope. Finally, the placement of sub-headings throughout the text strengthens the structure of the second edition. The reader will find the sub-topics easier to configure within the broader thesis.
This book makes a useful text for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in religion and history. It is helpful for its survey of Christianity, the questions it raises regarding the relationship of religion to ethnicity and locality, and its notes and bibliography, which point to related studies. At $29.95, the paperback is a reasonable addition to the individual scholar's library.
Nathan Howard
Book Description
This "fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won--for Jesus" (Newsweek) is now available in paperback. Stark's provocative report challenges conventional wisdom and finds that Christianity's astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life.
"Compelling reading" (Library Journal) that is sure to "generate spirited argument" (Publishers Weekly), this account of Christianity's remarkable growth within the Roman Empire is the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to dominance...must read it." says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. Combining his expertise in social science with historical evidence, and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, that most early converts were women or marginalized Jews--and ultimately "that Christianity was a success because it proved those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life" (Andrew M. Greeley, University of Chicago).
Customer Reviews:
Not bad, but not new.......2007-07-13
Very readable, but was mainly a rehash of older materials. Did like some of the statistical data. There are similar books that give a more in depth look at the rise of Christianity, but this is an excellent source for those who are looking for a concise and readable source.
Purely secular analysis, showing how Christ transformed the West.......2007-06-18
Stark is a sociologist. His speciality is religion, and specifically why religions grow. He has done things like study the Mormons and the Unification Church (Moonies) to see why people convert to new religions. From this work, he has derived some general rules for understanding why religions rise or fall.
In this book, he applies the knowledge that he gained by studying modern religion to the rise of the early Christian Church. His method is 100% secular. He deliberately never asks whether was Christianity, or any other religion, teaches is true. Rather, he simply asks, why did the Church grow, how did it grow and what did it do in the secular world, which can be studied by science.
The result is a fascinating book. First, Stark writes well. He has a clear and simple prose style. He asks the big questions, which most of us want answers to, and he gives answers to them. He is the exact opposite of the ordinary social scientist, whose scope is narrow and language deliberately technical, boring and hard to read. Stark's scope is vast, his language simple and his conclusions very easy to follow.
He has a number of very interesting conclusions.
First, he stresses that conversion ordinarily takes place within social networks. While occasionally an isolated person will convert for his or her own reasons, more typically people convert when their friends, family or other people to whom they are close have converted. This is common sense. Stark backs it up with modern social science studies, and then applies it to the early Church. In that context, what it basically means is that the early Church primarily consisted of Hellenized Jews, for a long time. He argues that the Church was most successful, in the early years, in converting the Jews of the Diaspora, rather than gentiles.
Second, he slowly and carefully builds a rather remarkable message. He argues, in many different and very specific ways, that Christianity took over the ancient world, because it was simply superior to what came before. He argues that it transformed Roman society, for the better.
A very telling example of this that he gives relates to the horrifying plagues that afflicted the Roman Empire. When plague hit, the pagans ran away. They had no idea how to cure the sickness, they were terrified of death, so they scattered, leaving the sick and the weak to die in misery on their own. Christians, on the other hand, were not afraid of death, and had a religious duty to care, not only for each other, but for strangers. As a result, Christians stayed and nursed the sick. As Stark shows, modern medicine proves that if you give the simplest kind of care to victims of these diseases -- probably measles and smallpox -- that the survival rate went up by two-thirds. Thus, in a very simple and direct way, Christian morality was objectively superior to that of the pagans. Because Christians braved death to care for the sick, there were far fewer deaths among Christians. In totally non-religious terms, Christians had far greater group solidarity, and a far higher sense of ethics, that benefited the entire community.
Stark also shows how Christians treated women better, helped reduce class distinctions and combated the wantont cruely of the Roman world. He shows, in short, that Roman society was, in many ways, evil and self-destructive, and that the Church transformed it for the better.
As I was reading this, it struck me as relevant to our time for two reasons.
First, we are having a great plague recently of thinkers arguing that religion is evil and bad for mankind. There are certainly religions which have, and do, fit into that category. However, the idea that all religion is bad, and specifically that Christianity is bad, is based upon a great deal of ignorance. Before concluding that the West would be better off without the Church, I think we need to remember what life was like before the Church. Most of us forget that it was once considered light entertainment for the masses to have wild animals kill chained up prisoners. We now think that is cruel and barbaric, because the Church taught us that.
Second, Stark gives a long account of the suicidial self-destructiveness of the late Empire. He describes how pagan society was afflicted with population decline, because it had a very male-centered, anti-marriage culture. He describes how widespread abortion, contraceptives and sexual activities not leading to procreation afficted the late Empire, and lead into decline.
His description of the woes of the pagan world struck very close to home. Western Europe, and much of America, is now post-Christian. We generally call this new attitude secular progressives. A better label, however, is neo-pagan. As with the old pagans, the new neo-pagans do not believe in God, practice frequent abortion, and greatly value sexual practices which can not lead to children. And, as with the old pagans, the neo-pagans are experienced plunging birth rates and rapid population decline.
Can we be a prosperous, successful and humane civilization without the Church? So far, the answers is no.
How small faith groups grow........2007-06-02
How did the Christian faith grow from the eleven original disciples of Jesus to a major force in the Roman Empire in just three centuries? Rodney Stark wanted to know more than what we have in early sources--be they the Bible or other. These don't often give numbers and when they do, the numbers are hard to verify. To attempt to understand the phenomenal growth of Christian faith, therefore, Stark went in search of answers from a statistical and sociological perspective. His research is scholarly but this book is presented in an engaging and accessible style, for the general reader.
In order to begin, Stark finds as a starting year 40 AD and as a starting number, 1000 Christians. He says that he is aware that this number may be too small (perhaps the number would approach the 3000 converts of Acts Chapter Two?) but he feels that an estimate of 1000 is near enough to being correct, given the persecutions about and after 60 AD. For the number of Christian in the year 350 AD, Stark sets a total of 38,882,008.
Stark draws upon findings from his own early 1960s research into the growth of a fledgling Korean immigrant religious movement, the Unification church, to check his assumptions about how such small faith groups grow. He found that early converts were family members, pre-existing friends and neighbors, that is, growth occurred through the personal element of adherents as they reached out to those they knew. He says, "Keep in mind that becoming a Moonie may have been regarded as deviant by outsiders, but it was an act of conformity for those whose most significant attachments were to Moonies." (pages 17-18).
In just such a perceptive way, Stark offers insights about the factors of class and station (characterized by the "socially pretentious members section of the population of big cities" with enough freedom to make choices and better educated than the general population), of times of persecution and plague (the Christians were admired because they stood fast and nursed their stricken pagan neighbors when others fled). Also, Stark maintains that Paul's custom of preaching to the Jews first probably resulted in a greater degree of success that is commonly supposed. Those who did hear and who were dispersed due to persecutions or trade took their new faith with them to the limits of the Empire, and their message bought about a higher proportion of Jewish converts to Christianity than is usually assumed. Stark talks about the values of Christians that included a higher regard for women, which brought about greater numbers of females in their community than in the general population, resulting in higher Christian birthrates.
Reviewing the 22 largest cities of the Empire, Stark talks about the impact that urban living and the disorganization of cities had upon Christian growth, and how Christianity became a renewing impact upon cities beset by misery and brutality. Stark also cites the "Quo Vadis?" event in Peter's life and considers the impact that his and other martyrdoms had on those who remained.
All in all this is a through and well-written study of the elements that could have contributed to Christianity's growth. It is filled with facts and insights that are worth the reader's time and attention.
Stunningly interersting and overview.......2007-03-28
I have read four of Stark's books, and they have all been immensely insightful and interesting. He investigates matters that receive little discussion in semi-popular historical works (or even scholarly works in many cases). For example, his discussion of abortion and the treatment of women in Rome is very informative and helps to make sense of why so many women found Christianity attractive.
Stark is an exceptionally clear and engaging writer, in addition to his knack for finding interesting questions and clever ways of answering them.
I also especially highly recommend Stark's 'The Victory of Reason'. It was my favorite of the four I've read thus far. His 'Cities of God', while not as synoptic in scope as some of the others, is sure to become a classic in what I hope becomes a new wave of applying quantitative methods to historical questions.
Well written book about the rise of Christianity.......2007-01-06
A well written story about the first centuries of Christianity. The author is both a sociologist and an apologist of Christianity (a rare mixture). To me, among the minuses of the book was its obsession with quantitative stuff (the fact is, we have few reliable statistics about the Roman Empire, so does it make sense to try to get the r-statistic for a number of things?). The book is much more interesting when it tries to narrate how was that a very small, marginal sect by the late first century, turned out to be one of the world's major religions just 200 years later. Among the interesting stuff is how plagues cemented the rise of Christendom (pagans fled the crowded cities, while christians, who did not fear death, remained to attend the sick, rising the faith's reputation), the position of women in the christian movement (much more exalted than it was usually thought), the class basis of early christianity (not at all the province of the poorest men of the Roman Empire, according to Stark), the fearlessness of the christian martyrs, how hellenized jews were the bulk of converts to Christianity in its first centuries, in contrast with what is usually thought, etc.
Book Description
Arthur Demarest brings the lost civilization of Maya to life by applying a holistic view to the most recently discovered archaeological evidence. His theoretical interpretation simultaneously emphasizes the brilliant rain forest adaptations of the ancient Maya and the Native American spirituality that permeated all aspects of their daily life. Drawing on data from the latest significant archaeological research in Central America, this new study appeals to those interested in the ecological bases of civilization, the function of the state and the causes of the collapse of civilizations.
Customer Reviews:
Mayan Royal Rock Stars.......2005-03-05
This is a must read for anyone interested in the ancient Maya and why their advanced civilization that had achieved so much under such harsh conditions suddenly collapsed and disappeared for parts unknown. Demarest argues that the collapse was political rather than the most widely accepted paradigm that it was ecological. He concludes that the collapse was due to a proliferation of royal elites competing for power, similar to the present situation in Saudi Arabia. Warfare between these competing elites caused a collapse during a 100 year period that resulted in a depopulation of major cities and a drastic reduction of palace and temple construction. The book is worth reading if only for Demarest's description of the Wizard of Oz type power structure where Mayan royal elites held power through fantastic ritualistic displays that captivated the masses. He describes the Mayan royal elites as a combination of rock stars, evangelical preachers, and circus performers that dressed in elaborate costumes with feathered head dresses, lit fires with pyrite mirrors, and engaged in public displays of blood letting. Demarest even relates the Mayan architecture to theater with temples high above plazas where the masses could observe rituals. The book is easy to read for layman.
Customer Reviews:
GREEK PREJUDICE REIGNS.......2006-03-06
I like Plutarch because the guy really knows how to call a spade a spade. He had the guts to admit when the record was less than straight, provided alternative views, sources and dialogues, and let the reader decide when the facts and interpretations got fuzzy. He was no ideologue. In that sense a lot of writers in our present century could learn from him.
There are many versions of Plutarch's "Lives" and the traditional versions (maybe the original?) render one Roman life in comparison with one Greek life evincing similar traits or historical characteristics. In this Penguin Series the tendency has been to divide the Greek and Roman lives into seperate works.
I loved his Roman lives unequivocally and I love this one as well, but Plutarch makes a better writer the more he moves from myth to factual lives. In this sense his early lives like Thesseus and Solon are less interesting than those of Nicias, Alcabiades, Lysander and Themistocoles. Plutarch is best when he is working with solid sources, not mythology.
But, to his credit, his early mythical lives reflects a very sceptical note, one as befits the subject matter. Later when he is citing Xenophon, and Plato, his lives are exciting in the extreme (I shall always remember the utter destruction of Nicias and his expeditionary force to Syracuse, by Gyllipus and his Syracusian allies). The corruption of Lysander by money, and the general message perhaps in this tome -- the danger of overextended wars in far flung lands not supported or understood by the people.
All in all this book puts the "C" in Classic.
A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History.......2005-08-10
Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.
Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.
If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.
Plutarch on Athens.......2004-10-11
While categorized as more of a biographer than a historian, Plutarch is nevertheless one of the most often-cited scholars of antiquity. In Plutarch we gaze at history through the lens of the great avatars of history. This is actually preferable in many ways to Plutarch's original organization. As Plutarch's method was to teach on ethics via the lives of great men, he would write parallel lives of famous Greeks & Romans. Many times the similarities would be stretched and occasionally merely artifical.
Penguin Classics has broken up Plutarch's LIVES into several different books, each focused on a particular historical genre. The current one places its emphasis on Athens. The book covers 7 Athenians (Solon, Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon, Pericles, Nicias, Alcibiades), 1 mythological figure (Theseus) and 1 Spartan (Lysander).
The inclusion of Lysander is due to the fact that Lysander was the primary instrument by which the Spartans conquered the Athenians in 404BCE. Athens would never again be a major player on the world stage, so the section on Lysander's life is one of transitions.
All of the essays in this book are the standard by which contemporary historians write on the world of ancient Greece. That makes this book a must for persons who are even remotely interested in classical history. Even if you were to only read one book on the Greeks, this one might be the one to grab. The book is THAT influential.
Good translation weak commentary.......2002-09-21
Penguin Classics have gone up in price I see with this new copy -- ah, well, such is publishing it seems. Plutarch was writing in the Roman world so his view of the lives of nine important Athenians is a bit different than their comtempories. The lives examined inclue Theseus (perhaps more legend than history), Solon (also a tad more legend than history), Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon, Pericles, Nicias, Alcibiades, and Lysander. There are two descent maps -- one of the Aegean and one of mainland Greece. The book could really use an index and better footnotes or commentary frankly to be of great use to anyone not just reading it for a introductory level course dealing with Athens or the Archaic and Classical Greek world.
Good translation, good read........1998-02-25
I'm reading this translation for a class on 5th century BC Greece. I find Plutarch a fun writer with his emphasis on the moral behavior of his subjects, even when some of them (such as Themistocles) are not moral at all. This is also a very good translation, as Penguin is known for.
Book Description
The pathway to understanding the New Testament leads through the vibrant landscape of the first-century Greco-Roman world. The New Testament is rooted in the concrete historical events of that world.In Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity Paul Barnett not only places the New Testament within that world of caesars and Herods, proconsuls and Pharisees, Sadducees and revolutionaries, but argues that the mainspring and driving force of early Christian history is the historical Jesus. We cannot understand the rise of Christianity apart from this Jesus, the messiah of Israel and the spiritual and intellectual impact he had on his immediate followers and those who succeeded them.From his intimate acquaintance with the sources, the evidence and the problems of New Testament history, Barnett offers fresh insights. His telling of the story skillfully avoids the encumbrance of extraneous details and side journeys. From the brith of Jesus to the founding of the messianic community, from the rise of Paul's mission to the Gentiles to the writing of the Gospels, Barnett offers a comprehensive account of the movement that would change the face of world history.Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity is a comprehensive survey of New Testament history that will meet the needs of students and teachers of the New Testament. In its engagment with contemporary scholarship and its emphasis on the propelling role of the historical and risen Jesus in the rise of Christianity, it provides a timely rejoinder to current revisionist exploration of Christian origins.
Customer Reviews:
Very good NT historical survey.......2004-03-13
"The thesis of this book has been that Jesus of Nazareth, the historical Jesus, became through death, bodily resurrection and ascension the Christ of faith." Jesus Seminar fans will not want to read this book.
The book is an excellent text for those conservative Christians who want to know more history (and we should want to know more) than what can be learned in the typical church service, Sunday School class, other discipleship training.
The writer is conservative, but obviously not narrow (i.e., fundamentalist). He goes mostly with traditional views of NT authorship.
His references to other scholars are not extensive but adequate. He often refers to Martin Hengel, F.F. Bruce, Rainer Riesner, etc. He is critical of N.T. Wright, but not seriously, and not convincingly. His references to other historical sources are primarily Josephus and Eusebius, etc. He refers a lot to early church fathers. Although he firmly believes Christianity was born of Judaism, Barnett refers only lightly to relevant Jewish literature (apart from OT), and he does not refer to writers like Bruce Chilton or Jacob Nuesner.
Barnett presents well traditional views, and contributes some interesting obsevations of his own, plus some less well know ideas. For example, he believes Nazareth was a village of King David's descendants who re-settled there after the return from Babylon and wanted to maintain a low profile in a time when such an ancestry might put one in danger of political execution.
I didn;t get much out of his traditional presentaton of why Jesus' blood sacrifice was necessary to make things right with God. I also thought he was weak in the current discussion about justification (convenantal nomism). He admittedly stayed away from theological issues and focused more on historical issues.
Barnett is a sensible scholar, not afraid to make sensible comments such as, "Such a brief gap [between Jesus and Paul] allows no time for Jesus to become what he was not in himself."
It was a good read, and I recommend to others as an intermediate level text.
a good introduction or refresher.......2000-12-24
This book does a good job of supplying basic background for a better understanding of the New Testament. NT history,social and cultural, is clearly set out. The genres (gospel,epistle etc.)are discussed and correctives are provided to balance the baleful influence of the 'Jesus Seminar' yahoos. Good, modern, conservative evaluations, not fundamentalist knee-jerk reactions.
About Time.......2000-04-18
Paul Barnett has written a timely book. There has been much written in recent times about how Jesus and history cannot be ever matched. Barnett who is faithful to the Bible and to history has brought the two together. It is a refreshing approach after the various ultra liberal writers publishings, which seem to just rubbish every aspect of faithful Biblical belief.
this book is a must for every Biblical and theological scholar, and for the faithful Christian who feels that the ultra liberal writers are under-mining their faith.
An authoritative reference on the roots of Christianity.......2000-03-25
A valuable and comprehensive discussion of who Jesus Christ is -- from both historical and biblical points of view -- by a well-qualified author.
The author's insights will help me again and again as I seek to read and understand the New Testament.
Book Description
Toby Huff examines the long-standing question of why modern science arose only in the West and not in the civilizations of Islam and China, despite the fact that medieval Islam and China were more scientifically advanced. Huff explores the cultural contexts within which science was practiced in Islam, China, and the West. He finds major clues in the history of law and the European cultural revolution of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as to why the ethos of science arose in the West and permitted the breakthrough to modern science that did not occur elsewhere. First Edition Hb (1993): 0-521-43496-3 First Edition Pb (1995): 0-521-49833-3
Customer Reviews:
The BEST Book Analyzing Western (Freethinking) and Sino/Islamic Prespectives Towards Science.......2005-09-25
I have read Dr. Huff's book, and also read the 1st edition. The 2nd edition is after 9/11. Dr. Huff's main thesis appeared to me very self-evident. Let's examine the crux of the case of Islam vs. Modern Science, as examined masterfully by Dr. Toby E. Huff, a Chancellor Professor of Sociology at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
Dr. Huff's latest edition, which is better referenced than his earlier (1st) edition, contains a total of NINE (9) chapters. For understanding the role of Islam in the development of Science, the casual reader at least needs to read thoroughly chapter 2 (Arabic Science and the Islamic World), chapter 3 (Reason and Rationality in Islam and the West), Chapter 5 (Madrassas, Universities and Science). These chapters help explain the most important theme: WHY ISLAM FAILED TO GIVE BIRTH TO MODERN SCIENCE, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD ONCE GENERATED THE BEST OF THE INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SCIENCE.
The author has done a very masterful job in supporting his views by extensively citing noted researchers like Max Weber, Joseph Needham, George Makdisi, Ignaz Goldziher and others, in addition to referring to his own research papers and books about the comparative analysis of scientific development and its universal spread (globalization).
Going to chapter 5, the reader finds that the madrassas were aimed at teaching two classes of science(s),and legal systems (or jurisprudence with associated logic/analysis/metaphysics). There were "Prophetic sciences" and "foreign sciences". The former was actually based on logic systems whose boundaries were very clearly drawn: the prophetic sciences were in line with the concept of upholding "divinity" as revealed by the Quran. The foreign sciences, on the other hand, were those analytical body of knowledge that were at odds with the Quranic traditions and the theological propositions.
The bedrock reason that explains the failure of Islam to usher modern science is articulated very well by Dr. Huff in his book, page 158, that reads as follows:
"It was even essential to Islam, ..., because the 'method was part and parcel of the Islamic orthodox process for determining orthodoxy. Where it failed ws in the creation of a set of objective standards of law, against which all other laws and principles could be judged. Since the legal principles of Islamic law had been given once and for all, in the Quran and the sunna, and in the principles of fiqh worked out by al-Shafi'i, the only task left was to use logic in the narrow sense, to uncover faulty reasoning and thus preserve the doctrinal status quo...."
This explains clearly, as one finds that application "freethought" was arrested and persecuted by the dictates in the theological canons of Islam, why modern science did not take birth from the womb of Islam, but rather took firm foothold in the European rennaisance ushering the birth of quantum (wave) mechanics and modern science.
The book is a must reading simply because of sheer amount of research that has been done by Dr. Huff to explore this aspect. It would be an asset for anyone doing research and wishing to include comparative aspects of Islamic societal functions into the research.
This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book for a serious reader.
Best on subject.......1999-01-09
Huff sees science as a social practice which cannot flourish without a social niche for the person who would investigate nature, and covers a long span of history looking at the ways societies create or fail to create those social roles. I have read a good many books on this subject, and Huff's is the most fair-minded, cogent and satisfying. Recommend highly.
Book Description
`the fates ordained the founding of this great city and the beginning of the world's mightiest empire, second only to the power of the gods' Romulus and Remus, the rape of Lucretia, Horatius at the bridge, the saga of Coriolanus, Cincinnatus called from his farm to save the state - these and many more are stories which, immortalised by Livy in his history of early Rome, have become part of our cultural heritage. The historian's huge work, written between 20 BC and AD 17, ran to 12 books, beginning with Rome's founding in 753 BC and coming down to Livy's own lifetime (9 BC). Books 1-5 cover the period from Rome's beginnings to her first great foreign conquest, the capture of the Etruscan city of Veii and, a few years later, to her first major defeat, the sack of the city by the Gauls in 390 BC.
Customer Reviews:
an immortal classic in superb translation.......2007-01-14
The book itself is, of course, an immortal classic; I can read it reasonably well in the original Latin, myself (being Italian and having received a good classical education before college), but I've long been searching for a suitable English edition to recommend to my American family and friends -- and with this one, I've finally found it! It reads as smoothly as one could hope and loses nothing of the original's flavour. A practical counterexample to the traditional quip about translations being like women -- either beautiful, or faithful -- this book (like my wife!-) is both at the same time!-)
most intreging.......2004-05-23
Yes I am only 14 years old but listen to what I have to say.I am in 8th grade,and have always found the roman empire fasinating.So one day I asked my teacher how the roman empire started.Of corse I know the mith,Romulus and Remus were rased by wolfs and sarted rome on the 7th hill.But I wanted to know the truth.So my teacher gave me the book The Rise of Rome.It anserd all of my questions and I gained new knowledge and a better under standing of the roman empire.I was reading a review hear at amason and it said the book was awful because it had inadequet translations,like useing new age frases insted of old world words.Well DUHHHHHH!!!!! This is the new world.That is not a good enogh reason of why not to read the book.It dosnt matter how the book is transilated,as long as the meaning and story is the same.So for all of you who are intrested in the roman empire I highly recomend this book.
Classic of Roman National Mythology.......2001-01-03
Professor Luce has done an admirable service to students of ancient history with his new translation of Livy. In addition to the able and idiomatic translation, the volume possesses very helpful but not overly cumbersome explanatory notes. Students in my introductory ancient history course appreciated both the lively content of Rome's founding mythology and the quality of the edition.
Customer Reviews:
Scholarly, but Hard to Follow.......2007-09-14
I gave up after 130 out of 900+ pages, so take that into account.
The writing style makes it hard to follow. I enjoy scholarly books, but this book's citations were so prevalent as to be distracting. His writing meandered. Also, I found myself distrusting his assertions. You know how some people cite huge numbers of facts, but weave them so as to support incorrect conclusion? That was my feeling here. Seemed a little too cynical towards Christianity. One thing I noticed was that the citations seemed to be from miscellaneous times/sources that were not directly applicable. I recommend this book for a academic who wants lots of materials, but not for a layman such as myself who is trying to get a good scholarly understanding of early church history. I lost interest!
Great Theological History.......2007-02-28
This book is a real enriching journey through the early theological history of the church. However at 900 pages the journey doesn't come easy. As they say nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The book traces the development of the church via its theological thought and organizational principles. It does talk about the over all historical events going on at that time but it gives only passing coverage of those events. By understanding how thought evolved a person better understands where the church is today.
One thing early in the book becomes crystal clear. There is no new issues for the church. The issues today that the denominations wrestle with are at times the exact issues it faced early on.
One of my favorite books.......2006-07-05
I purchased my copy of this book in 1988, read it through (be prepared, it takes time)and have returned to it countless times over the years to reread different chapters when I wanted to refresh my memory regarding certain events in the early years of Christianity. I consider it an old friend. It has been a marvelous source of historical information and theological insights in the development of Christianity. One of the best book investments I have ever made. Beautifully written. I especially enjoyed Frend's occasional wry humor. Example: Philosopher: "What did God do before he created the earth?" Answer: "He was busy preparing a hell for philosophers."
Comprehensive, yet very readable.......2005-12-27
The size of this book is daunting (some 900 pages of text, and then about a hundred more of appendices), but Frend is tirelessly clear in his explanations. He moves through stages of the early church, offering an overview of the political situations, the major players, and the Zeitgeist of each time period. I bought this originally a textbook for a college course, but I've picked it up again as a valuable resource. His synthesis of primary sources is neither obnoxiously conservative or obnoxiously liberal (those familiar with writings on the early church will know what this means). Every chapter inspires me to read through his sources; the book provides an excellent conceptual framework for further study.
An Important Place to Start.......2003-08-14
This is not an easy book to read, because it is not a shallow treatment of its subject; it's densely written and highly detailed.
But it is the book that you should start with, because, given the degree of religious partisanship that attends this subject, it's crucial that your first exposure come from a trustworthy source. To all appearances, Frend is such a source; he writes without apparent bias, with abundant humanity, and he ends each chapter with a staggering bibliography of the primary and secondary sources on which he's relied. In fact, the bibliography itself is worth the price of the book.
I predict that if you purchase this book, it will become the standard by which you judge other Church histories.
Book Description
What explains the rapid growth of state power in early modern Europe? While most scholars have pointed to the impact of military or capitalist revolutions, Philip S. Gorski argues instead for the importance of a disciplinary revolution unleashed by the Reformation. By refining and diffusing a variety of disciplinary techniques and strategies, such as communal surveillance, control through incarceration, and bureaucratic office-holding, Calvin and his followers created an infrastructure of religious governance and social control that served as a model for the rest of Europe—and the world.
.
Books:
- The Fair Tax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS
- The Fair Tax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS
- The Fair Tax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS
- The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM)
- The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar's Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market
- The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar's Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market
- The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities
- The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, 7th Edition
- The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, 7th Edition
- The Leaky Funnel: Earn More Customers by Aligning Sales and Marketing to the Way Businesses Buy
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- America's Financial Apocalypse: How to Profit from the Next Great Depression
- Professional Practice for Interior Designers, 3rd Edition
- Forties Screen Style: A Celebration of High Pastiche in Hollywood
- History: Fiction or Science
- Minion
- The Da Vinci Code
- Red Lily
- Bank Mergers & Acquisitions : An Introduction and an Overview
- CPA Exam Supplement: Intermediate Accounting
- Man Crazy: A Novel
Netherlands
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age
The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, 15671659: The Logistics of Spanish Victory and Defeat in the Low Countries' Wars (Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History)
Empire: How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763
A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic, 1585-1718
Enlightenment Contested: Philosophy, Modernity, and the Emancipation of Man 1670-1752
