Joseph John Campbell, the eminent comparative mythologist had once posed the question: What is the meaning of a flower in a field, and why was it there? Drawing upon this theme, the author explores the origins of faith and belief, and presents the narrative of the book as a series of dialogues amongst a number of key characters. The protagonist is a young university student whose life’s journey is moulded by the words of his mentor who offers the thoughts of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, and many other pre- and post-Socratic Greek philosophers, to arrive at conclusions about faith, morality and in the search of the divine.
This unique study bridges the history of the Crusades with the history of Armenian nationalism and Christianity. To the Crusaders, Armenian Christians presented the only reliable allies in Anatolia and Asia Minor, and were pivotal in the founding of the Crusader principalities of Edessa, Antioch, Jerusalem and Tripoli. The Anatolian kingdom of Cilicia was founded by the Roupenian dynasty (mid 10th to late 11th century), and grew under the collective rule of the Hetumian dynasty (late 12th to mid 14th century). After confrontations with Byzantium, the Seljuks and the Mongols, the Second Crusade led to the crowning of the first Cilician king despite opposition from Byzantium. Following the Third Crusade, power shifted in Cilicia to the Lusignans of Cyprus (mid to late 14th century), culminating in the final collapse of the kingdom at the hands of the Egyptian Mamluks.
Our millennium-old romance with the tales of the ancient Silk Road continues to fascinate us all and shows no signs of abating. Like a phoenix repeatedly rising from its ashes, the memories of the road's ordeals and achievements constantly turn our attention to images of heavily laden camel caravans treading their way amidst a dusty twilight of churning haze. In our minds we bring to life the harmonic footsteps of the camel trains that reduce the sinking sun in the far horizon into a pale reddish disc. Yet like erect sentries, the surrounding majestic snow-capped mountains beckoned the entrepreneurial merchants on foot to riches hidden deep in valleys accessed only through high and perilous passes. These courageous men were the catalyst not only for the trade of their earthly goods but also of the less tangible commodities that promised the receptive ears a paradise in heaven. The author's engaging description of how the world's greatest religions permeated and changed ancient China is augmented by colour photographs taken during the author's personal travels. Here the ancient history of humanity's greatest missionary enterprises is dissected for the reader and highlighted by some of the unknown treasures of the Silk Road. The geographic importance of many ancient areas now occupied by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are also discussed in the unfolding of this history. With concise narratives the author assesses the legacies of the men of the Silk Road who brought the beliefs of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China. Jacob G. Ghazarian, D.Phil. is an independent scholar associated with Wolfson College, University of Oxford where he has conducted his research for more than a decade on the impact of religions upon the socio-political fabric of regional indigenous populations. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Our millennium-old romance with the tales of the ancient Silk Road continues to fascinate us all and shows no signs of abating. Like a phoenix repeatedly rising from its ashes, the memories of the road's ordeals and achievements constantly turn our attention to images of heavily laden camel caravans treading their way amidst a dusty twilight of churning haze. In our minds we bring to life the harmonic footsteps of the camel trains that reduce the sinking sun in the far horizon into a pale reddish disc. Yet like erect sentries, the surrounding majestic snow-capped mountains beckoned the entrepreneurial merchants on foot to riches hidden deep in valleys accessed only through high and perilous passes. These courageous men were the catalyst not only for the trade of their earthly goods but also of the less tangible commodities that promised the receptive ears a paradise in heaven. The author's engaging description of how the world's greatest religions permeated and changed ancient China is augmented by colour photographs taken during the author's personal travels. Here the ancient history of humanity's greatest missionary enterprises is dissected for the reader and highlighted by some of the unknown treasures of the Silk Road. The geographic importance of many ancient areas now occupied by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are also discussed in the unfolding of this history. With concise narratives the author assesses the legacies of the men of the Silk Road who brought the beliefs of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China. Jacob G. Ghazarian, D.Phil. is an independent scholar associated with Wolfson College, University of Oxford where he has conducted his research for more than a decade on the impact of religions upon the socio-political fabric of regional indigenous populations. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Turkey - The Heritage of the Land offers a glimpse of a regional history that spans over two thousand years beginning with the early years of Christianity. It brings into focus with a collage of awe inspiring colour photographs the topography of a land over which many civilizations clashed for supremacy. Greeks from the time of Alexander the Great, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Armenians, Arabs and Turks alike, all crisscrossed this land and left their indelible mark in the cities, towns and villages which had once served as the backbone of early Christianity. The land of modern Turkey is a culmination of a long history of nation building that like many human endeavours has in its wake instilled pride and prejudices in the hearts of the inhabitants of the land. Today we witness the spirit of their architectural legacy that embodied their faith in the eternal power of religion.
Read how China in the past and in the present utilizes the applied practices of its vast ancient cultural heritage to gain ascendency in the global political and economic arenas.
This unique study bridges the history of the Crusades with the history of Armenian nationalism and Christianity. To the Crusaders, Armenian Christians presented the only reliable allies in Anatolia and Asia Minor, and were pivotal in the founding of the Crusader principalities of Edessa, Antioch, Jerusalem and Tripoli. The Anatolian kingdom of Cilicia was founded by the Roupenian dynasty (mid 10th to late 11th century), and grew under the collective rule of the Hetumian dynasty (late 12th to mid 14th century). After confrontations with Byzantium, the Seljuks and the Mongols, the Second Crusade led to the crowning of the first Cilician king despite opposition from Byzantium. Following the Third Crusade, power shifted in Cilicia to the Lusignans of Cyprus (mid to late 14th century), culminating in the final collapse of the kingdom at the hands of the Egyptian Mamluks.
Joseph John Campbell, the eminent comparative mythologist had once posed the question: What is the meaning of a flower in a field, and why was it there? Drawing upon this theme, the author explores the origins of faith and belief, and presents the narrative of the book as a series of dialogues amongst a number of key characters. The protagonist is a young university student whose life’s journey is moulded by the words of his mentor who offers the thoughts of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, and many other pre- and post-Socratic Greek philosophers, to arrive at conclusions about faith, morality and in the search of the divine.
Fairacres Publications 177 Jacob of Serugh (451-521) is one of the great poets of the early Syriac tradition. His meditations focus us on the centrality of divine love as he understood it in the context of scripture. These reflections on the mysteries of salvation were prefaces to his homilies; as Sebastian Brock remarks in his Foreword, they ‘are beautiful little gems in their own right.’ In this book, Mary Hansbury presents a selection of the richest and most theologically profound of Jacob’s prayers. They introduce us to his warm pastoral concern for the spiritual and theological formation of the Christians in his care, which has remained lively and accessible down the ages.
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