1. Factors for Christianity’s Success

2. My First Thought About The Triumph of Christianity
Athens Twenty Years Ago

9. Factors for Christianity’s Success

10. Suggestions Occasionally Made
Failure of Paganism
Appeal of Monotheism
Attractions of Ethics
Benefits of Community
Superior Health Care
The Power of God

11. But Why Christianity? The Key Factors (Distinctions)
Evangelism
The Incentive
The modus operandi (social networks)
Exclusivity

12. How Fast Did Christianity Grow? Some Important Round Figures
A Beginning Number: 20 followers of Jesus in 30 CE
The typical (scholarly) End Number: 5-6 million in 300 CE
Reasons for Suspicion
A More Plausible End Number: 2-3 million in 300 CE
How Do We Get from Here to There?

13. Crunching the Numbers Enter the Sociologist: Rodney Stark Problems
4900% (= 1000 converts) in the first decade?
But only 40% (= 55 converts) in the first three decades?
More Plausible Calculations
An Initial burst
Tapering off
Ebbs and Flows
Slower rates near the end
The Exponential curve

14. The Rate of Growth

15. Crunching the Numbers Enter the Sociologist: Rodney Stark Problems
4900% (= 1000 converts) in the first decade?
But only 40% (= 55 converts) in the first three decades?
More Plausible Calculations
An Initial burst
Tapering off
Ebbs and Flows
Slower rates near the end
The Exponential curve
What It Would Take (per year)

16. Measuring the Growth 30 CE – 20 Christians
60 CE – 1280 Christians, so say
100 CE – 8389 Christians, say ,000
150 CE – 36,000 Christians, say 30,000-40,000
200 CE – 157,000 Christians, say 140, ,000)
250 CE – 676,000 Christians, say 600, ,000
300 CE – 2,923,000 Christians, say 2,500,000 to 3,500,000
312 CE – 3,857,000Christians, say 3,500,000-4,000,000
400 CE – 29,478,000 Christians, say 25,000,000-35,000,000

17. Some Implications
The Historical and Cultural Impact of Christianity

18. Measuring the Growth 30 CE – 20 Christians
60 CE – 1280 Christians, so say
100 CE – 8389 Christians, say ,000 (.0167% -- that is, 1/60 of 1%)
150 CE – 36,000 Christians, say 30,000-40,000
200 CE – 157,000 Christians, say 140, ,000 (.267%, that is, somewhat over ¼ of 1%.)
250 CE – 676,000 Christians, say 600, ,000
300 CE – 2,923,000 Christians, say 2,500,000 to 3,500,000 (that is, about 5%)
312 CE – 3,857,000Christians, say 3,500,000-4,000,000
400 CE – 29,478,000 Christians, say 25,000,000-35,000,000 (that is, about 50%)

19. Some Implications The Historical and Cultural Impact of Christianity
The Lost Writings of the Christians