Religious Rivalries in the Early Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity

PART II •MISSION?

6 “The Field God Has Assigned”: Geography and Mission in Paul

Terence L. Donaldson• 109

7 The Contra Apionemin Social and Literary Context: An Invitation

to Judean Philosophy

Steve Mason• 139

8 On Becoming a Mithraist: New Evidence for the Propagation

of the Mysteries

Roger Beck• 175

PART III •RISE?

9 Rodney Stark and “The Mission to the Jews”

Adele Reinhartz• 197

10 “Look How They Love One Another”: Early Christian and Pagan

Care for the Sick and Other Charity

Steven C. Muir• 213

11 The Religious Market of the Roman Empire: Rodney Stark and

Christianity’s Pagan Competition

Roger Beck• 233

12 Why Christianity Succeeded (in) the Roman Empire

Leif E. Vaage• 253

Works Cited• 279

Ancient Sources Index• 305

Ancient Names Index• 318

Modern Names Index• 322

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