| − | '''Rodney Stark''' is "one of the world’s most respected [[sociologist]]s of [[religion]]."<ref name="interview">[http://www.jknirp.com/stark.htm An Interview With Rodney Stark]</ref>. Since the 1960s Stark has studied the phenomenon of [[conversion]] scientifically focusing especially on newer religious movements such as [[Mormons]], [[Unification Church|Unificationists]], and [[Krishna|Hare Krishna]]s. <ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8294(199009)29%3A3%3C362%3ARSTBY%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B Rodney Stark: The Berkeley Years] - Armand L. Mauss - ''Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion'', Vol. 29, No. 3 (Sep., 1990), pp. 362-366</ref> | + | '''Rodney Stark''' is "one of the world’s most respected [[sociologist]]s of [[religion]].".<ref name="interview">[http://www.jknirp.com/stark.htm An Interview With Rodney Stark]</ref> Since the 1960s Stark has studied the phenomenon of [[conversion]] scientifically focusing especially on [[new religious movement]]s such as [[Mormons]], [[Unification Church|Unificationists]], and [[Krishna|Hare Krishna]]s.<ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8294(199009)29%3A3%3C362%3ARSTBY%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B Rodney Stark: The Berkeley Years] - Armand L. Mauss - ''Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion'', Vol. 29, No. 3 (Sep., 1990), pp. 362-366</ref> |
| − | An agnostic himself<ref name="interview" />, Stark views [[Christian]] history and what Christianity was able to accomplish in a very favorable light. He has written or co-authored many books including: | + | An [[agnosticism|agnostic]] himself,<ref name="interview" /> Stark views [[Christian]] history and what Christianity was able to accomplish in a very favorable light (see [[Christianity and science]]). |
| | * The Rise of Christianity (HarperOne San Francisco, 1997) ISBN 978-0060677015 | | * The Rise of Christianity (HarperOne San Francisco, 1997) ISBN 978-0060677015 |
| | * Discovering God (HarperOne, 2007) ISBN 978-0061173899 | | * Discovering God (HarperOne, 2007) ISBN 978-0061173899 |