Anestis Karasaridis má PhD

Anestisovi gratulujeme a přikládáme abstrakt disertace spolu s odkazem na archiv práce.

This dissertation theoretically tests the McNeill–Stark hypothesis on the pivotal role of pandemics in the rise of Christianity, employing computational modeling. A dual-methodological framework disaggregates this hypothesis into two distinct claims: a demographic assertion of higher survival rates (Thesis 1, T1) and a sociological one of superior Christian social network resilience (Thesis 2, T2). System dynamics models are utilized to test Thesis 1, while social network analysis is applied to test Thesis 2. The results indicate that the demographic advantage (T1) alone is quantitatively insufficient to account for the religion’s historical growth. However, the models provide robust support for the sociological claim (T2), demonstrating that Christian social networks could have been uniquely resilient to epidemic shocks. This research concludes that the pandemics’ primary influence was sociological, rather than purely demographic, creating a crisis of social connection that the stable Christian community was positioned to fill. This work refines the McNeill–Stark hypothesis and showcases the utility of modeling for historical inquiry.