A biography for Rodney Starkhasn’t been written yet.
“Most churches are run by preachers who went to seminaries, who decided to be preachers when they were 18, 19, 20 years old. These preachers never met a payroll. They don't know how the world works.”
“Leading Christian theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas were not what today might be called 'strict constructionists.' Rather, they celebrated reason as the means to gain greater insight into divine intentions.”
“It seems that not being religious is a form of risk-taking, consistent with other patterns of short-sighted behaviour in men.”
“Regular church-goers are substantially more likely than non-attenders to read, to take newspapers and magazines, to listen to classical music, to attend symphony concerts, operas, and stage plays.”
“The Christian image of God is that of a rational being who believes in human progress.”
“A whole lot of Americans have never met a Mormon.”
“There are many critics who think the megachurches thrive on people who enjoy dramatic Sunday services with fine music but don't wish to become very 'religious' on a day-to-day basis - that the megachurch appeal is a mile wide and an inch deep.”
“American churches work very hard at reaching out to people to bring them in.”
“The Christian image of God is that of a rational being who believes in human progress, more fully revealing himself as humans gain the capacity to better understand.”
“Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition.”
“Many people who say they have no religion are simply saying they have no official religious affiliation. They may actually have strong personal beliefs.”