The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success By Rodney Stark / Random House, Inc

Why has Western civilization been so successful over the last thousand years? By that I mean, why have all the significant economic, scientific, political, technological, and intellectual breakthroughs of the past millennium been associated with Western civilization? Some would say that it was the West’s military might that has been used to conquer and exploit weaker countries.  However, that answer does not address the root of the question, for one could then ask why the militaries of European and, later, American, societies were so vastly superior to other nations.  I suppose I would then be told that it was due to those countries superior technology that they used to their advantage (i.e. gun powder, cannons, steam-powered transportation, etc.). Yet that answer is still found lacking, for the question remains, why did those countries enjoy such superior technology?  When we finally get to the heart of the matter, Rodney Stark believes that Christianity laid the groundwork for Europe’s success by trumpeting reason over mystery and superstition.

Rodney Stark earned his Ph. D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and is now a Social Sciences professor at Baylor University.  In his latest book, The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success,  Stark maintains that Europe rose to a position of power because of Christianity, not in spite of it. As the front cover states:

Many books have been written about the success of the West, analyzing why Europe was able to pull ahead of the rest of the world by the end of the Middle Ages.  The most common explanations cite the West’s superior geography, commerce, and technology.  Completely overlooked is the fact that faith in reason, rooted in Christianity’s commitment to rational theology, made all these developments possible.  Simply put, the conventional wisdom that Western success depended upon overcoming religious barriers to progress is utter nonsense.

Throughout the book, Stark cites source after source that paints history in a slightly different hue than it is commonly given today.  He shows that the “Dark Ages” are a myth and that the Middle Ages were, in reality, a time of economic and scientific innovation that for most Europeans brought a vast improvement in their quality of life over what they had experienced under the Roman Empire. He then goes on to show how these innovations were made possible by the foundation that Christianity provided.  Stark further explains how this foundation provided for the evolution of commerce and government over the centuries to give us the systems we use today.

What to like: One thing that can’t be missed while reading The Victory of Reason is that Stark is careful to cite and provide historical evidence for all of his claims.  It has been a long time since a Christian author has produced such a well-researched book on the historical heritage of Christianity.  Instead of relying on other historians’ works, he looks back at the actual documents and papers produced from the time period to draw his conclusions.  The result is a stunning look at history from the Middle Ages to the present time. 

He also does a good job at keeping an honest, objective perspective throughout, as he lets the research have the final say, even when it might not seemingly support his theory. For instance, he does not credit the “Protestant work ethic” for the creation of capitalism and modern democracy.  Rather, he shows that models for these economic and political systems existed centuries before the Reformation in Catholic city-states.  In this day and age where everybody seemingly has an agenda to push, it is refreshing to see this approach taken for such an important work.

What not to like: If you do not consider yourself a history buff, then this might not be the book for you. This is not light reading and often Stark gives whole pages of economic statistics at a time to prove a point.  This could very well prove to be tedious to readers not that interested in history.

While I agree with the main thrust of the book, I am not sure I like all of the implications of his conclusions. His idea that Calvinism was a hindrance to a thriving Dutch economy and not the driving force behind it in the seventeenth century makes me a bit uncomfortable. Make no mistake, I do not disagree with his findings, I just wish that his findings were different than they are. Objective history will often do that though, leaving most people uncomfortable with at least some of its discoveries. We are so used to putting a spin on information to support our beliefs that it can almost be jolting to see information presented in such a fair and objective manner.

Memorable Quote: “To sum up: the rise of the West was based on four primary victories of reason. The first was the development of faith in progress within Christian theology.  The second victory was the way that faith in progress translated into technical and organizational innovations, many of them fostered by monastic estates. The third was that, thanks to Christian theology, reason informed both political philosophy and practice to the extent that responsive states, sustaining a substantial degree of personal freedom, appeared in medieval Europe.  The final victory involved the application of reason to commerce, resulting in the development of capitalism within the safe havens provided by responsive states. These were the victories by which the West was won.”

Conclusion:  In Western culture today it is all too common for Christians to be marginalized and looked down upon as being “ignorant”.  We are often painted as being against progress, science and cultural arts.  Obviously nothing could be further from the truth, but that has not changed the world’s perception of us.  This book, though, helps the discerning reader understand that it is only through the Christian faith that such progress is even possible.  This is a message the world needs to hear and understand.  Rodney Stark does a great job presenting it clearly and thoroughly, covering all of the different angles in painstaking detail.  Indeed, I only wish other Christians understood their heritage and legacy like Stark does.