The Rise of Christianity
 Stark argues that, contrary to popular belief, Christianity was a movement, not of the lower classes and the oppressed, but of the upper and middle classes in the cities and of Hellenized Jews. Stark also discusses the exponential nature of the growth of religion, and why hence the speed of Christianity is not as miraculous as might be thought. Stark points to a number of advantages that Christianity had over paganism to explain its growth: While others fled cities, Christians stayed in urban areas during plague, ministering and caring for the sick; Christian populations grew faster, due to the prohibition of abortion, infanticide and birth control; Christians did not fight against their persecutors by open violence or guerrilla warfare. They willingly went to their martyrdom while praying for their captors, which added credibility to their evangelism. Women were valued and allowed to participate in worship leading to a high rate of secondary conversion, whereas in paganism, men outnumbered women. Stark's basic thesis is that, ultimately, Christianity triumphed over paganism because it improved the quality of life of its adherents at that time.