For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch-Hunts, and the End of Slavery

Christian Century, Nov 15, 2003 by Daniel L. Pals

the partisan motives of others should extend a different courtesy to himself, curtly announcing from the outset that "my personal religious views are of concern only to me."

Irritations aside, this study offers much that followers of the Christian story in both the academy and the churches can draw upon with real profit, so long as they also read with critical eves. To summarize things in theological terms, there may be only one Professor Stark, but he appears to exist in three persons: the sociologist who resigned on principle at the start of the project; the comparative religionist who signed on but then declined to compare; and the church historian who conscientiously shouldered most of the work. All credit then to the historian, who works hard and well to discern the Christian soul of the cultural West--and mostly succeeds in finding it.

Reviewed by Daniel L. Pals, who teaches' at the University of Miami.