Book Description
In 480 B.C., Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For seventy years, victory—rapid, spectacular victory—had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated in the epochal naval battle at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence and survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such an entity as the West at all.
Tom Holland’s brilliant new book describes the very first “clash of Empires” between East and West. As he did in the critically praised Rubicon, he has found extraordinary parallels between the ancient world and our own. There is no other popular history that takes in the entire sweep of the Persian Wars, and no other classical historian, academic or popular, who combines scholarly rigor with novelistic depth with a worldly irony in quite the fashion that Tom Holland does.
Customer Reviews:
Great reading.......2007-10-09
Work was really well done. This book would give anyone a greater understanding of the complexities and cultural events of the day.
Add this to your reading list.......2007-08-12
If you are interested in Persian and Greek history this is an excellent read. It is very well written and provides a number of good illustrations, photos and maps. The author has a very good writing voice and is entertaining.
ONE OF THE BEST HISTORY BOOK.......2007-07-23
this book is so good that if i could rate it 10 stars i would rate it 20
Questions Remain.......2007-07-12
Tom Holland does a good job of summarizing what we know about the subject. If you have read Herodotus' "Persian War" or Plutarch's "Lives" or Thucidydes' "Peloponessian War" then you have the facts already. "Persian Fire" puts it all together into an entertaining and sometimes moving story. And let's face it, it is one of the world's great stories.
I kept handy my Times Atlas of World History and my Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia as I read it. There is also a lot of stuff on the net regarding the Persian Empire which will supplement Holland.
So why does he feel the need to use profanity to tell it? "S**t" and "f**k" have no place here. Those two words cost him a star, from me.
I feel the book would have benefitted from a deeper discussion of military matters. Just what was a "hoplite"? How was a phalanx made up? What means did they employ to fend off a cavalry charge?
I picked up a copy of "Rubicon" based on my enjoyment of this.
Holland back and at his finest.......2007-07-10
Tom Holland scored some major points with Rubicon, a terrific, narrative account of the fall of the Roman Republic. His clear prose, entertaining characterization and solid research and diverse use of sources can be apppreciated by all levels of readers. Holland may not have improved between his two books, but he certainly hasn't lost a step either. In Persian Fire, he recounts the rise of the Persian Empire and the revolutionary changes in Greek life, focusing on the late Archaic age in Sparta and Athens. I'm sure the point has been made before, but I like Holland's insistence that Marathon proved to be the first real test of the democracy of Athens. Holland traces their subsequent rise in prestige and the spread of democracy to this great victory over the hegemonic superpower of Persia. Holland's narrative is sleek, the various Athenian factions are (thankfully) clarified and the representation of the Persians is quite good. He tends to over-do his comparisons to the contemporary world, but overall, Holland treats my favorite historical event with his unique touch and has written a wonderfully accessible account of a stodgy, academic conflict. Well done, Tom.
Book Description
Using gender analysis to study power and culture between c. 300 and 900, this study examines the women, men and eunuchs who lived in the late Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and western European civilizations. It assesses the ways in which gender identity was established and manifested in written and material cultural forms, emphasizing the integral relationship between the masculine and feminine by exploring costume, attitudes to the body, social and political institutions and a wide range of literary genres.
Book Description
Revised edition. A travel guide that explores the spiritual significance of the sights of Egypt.
Customer Reviews:
The best book if you want something a little deeper........2001-09-03
If you want a guide book with more than the basic superficial run of the mill tourist info this book is for you.
Lots of maps, tips and explanations of the deeper meaning behind the sites you're visiting.
I'm bringing this book with me on my trip!
Enhanced with maps, diagrams, and photos.......2001-08-11
Now in a updated and expanded new edition, John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt continues to be the definitive guide to all of the sacred places of ancient Egypt. The ideal traveler's guidebook is enhanced with maps, diagrams, and photos to accompany the history and spiritual significance of Egypt's art, architecture, mythology, religion, and ritual practices. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Valley of the Kings, this traveler's guide reveals the hidden meaning of monuments, ancient city sites, as well as new research on the dating of the Sphinx. Travel tips include tour information, Nile cruises, what to bring and what to wear, shopping advice, as well as information on money, hotels, and restaurants. If you are planning a trip to the Land of the Pharaohs, beginning with a thorough perusal of John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt!
For any mind that is even slightly ajar, let alone open..........2001-03-08
This book is essential for any traveller to Egypt with a mind that is even slightly ajar, let alone open.
West gives an alternative account of the meaning of the monuments and antiquities to be seen in Egypt, more esoteric (though certainly not more difficult to understand) than that which is usually presented in guide books. He points out the details which brought him to the conclusion that the Giza Sphinx is in fact closer to 13,000 years old than the 4,500 years old that has been traditionally believed, and has a different viewpoint to the orthodox school in many cases. He presents both sides of the argument, and gives the information necessary to make up one's own mind based on observation of what is actually there to be seen.
On my first visit to Egypt, my companions and I felt rather sorry for tourists in groups with official guides, because they seemed to be missing out on at least half of the story, and in many cases the whole point.
I was particularly impressed with West's analysis of the architecture of the Temple of Luxor, based on the work of Schwaller de Lubicz, and once it was pointed out how the whole building maps onto a plan of the human skeleton, I found it very difficult to refute.
Whilst I did not always agree with his conclusions on every occasion, it cannot be disputed that West has raised thoroughly pertinent questions which conventional Egyptology has either glibly brushed under the carpet or failed to address at all.
Best Guide to Ancient Egyptian Sites.......2001-01-17
One of the most useful guides to ancient Egyptian sites! A visitor can read the descriptions to the tombs, monuments and temples prior to their visit - but the guide is most helpful during and after being awestruck! The guide is more of a historical, academic narrative to the many treasures of Egypt and is much more prefereable to the shallow descriptions of a traditional travel guide. In lieu of an ancient copy of Baedeker's, "Traveler's Key..." is the next best thing!
for open-minded readers.......2000-08-24
The author provides a historical overview of Ancient Egypt and the development of Egyptology (by Kircher, Napoleon, Champollion, and Schwaller de Lubicz among many people). The book covers Egyptian Religion as well as the major religious and funerary texts. Giza, the pyramids and the Sphinx are discussed as are Saqqara, Memphis, Dahshur, Abusir, Meidum, Akhetaten, Thebes, Abydos, Dendara, Esna, Edfu, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Alexandria. A section is dedicated to the content of the Cairo Museum. Included are 5 appendices - dynasties and kings; sphinx and pyramid; glossary; bibliography; and travel tips. Both orthodox and unorthodox views are dealt with in this book, whose emphasis is mostly on the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt. With black and white illustrations, it is recommended for the open-minded reader.
Average customer rating:
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The Fall of Samaria: An Historical and Archaeological Study (Studies in the History of the Ancient Near East, Vol 2)
Bob Becking
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Book Description
The fall of Samaria is narrated in 2 Kings 17. The cuneiform inscriptions dealing with this event are prima facie contradictory: the conquest is ascribed to both Shalmaneser V and Sargon II. The surmise of H. Tadmor that Samaria was conquered twice is investigated. At the same time the events are interpreted in their socio-historical framework. Tadmor's assumption cannot be falsified, although his theory should be modified as regards the date of the first conquest: 723 B.C.E. The fall of Samaria can be interpreted as an inevitable result of the expansion of the Assyrian Empire in combination with internal struggles in Israel. Evidence of deportation reveals that deportees were treated as normal citizens. Thorough discussion of the sources and their interpretation is a feature of this book.
Book Description
Winner of the Journal of the History of Ideas's Morris D. Forkosch prize This book traces the development thought about God and the relationship between God's being and activity from Aristotle, through the pagan Neoplatonists, to thinkers such as Augustine, Boethius, and Aquinas (in the West) and Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, and Gregory Palamas (in the East). The resulst is a comparative history of philosophical thought in the two halves of Christendom, providing a philosophical backdrop to the schism between the Eastern and Western churches.
Customer Reviews:
Starts out well, then crashes.......2007-01-09
There is indeed some impressive scholarship in this book, except where the author attempts to make sense of figures he has failed to study in depth, such as Aquinas, where the errors are numerous and elementary. Behind the project, of course, is an agenda, a familiar anti-Western polemic dressed up in good historical research and extremely clumsy philosophy.
I notice that the publishers quote David Burrell's review in Nova et Vetera--funny, since that review was anything but positive in its final conclusions regarding this book.
Bradshaw is a bad philosopher, but he gives his audience what they want. He will be praised extravagantly.
Revealed God or Philosophical Idol?.......2006-05-22
First, the negative review is pure B.S.
Dr. Bradshaw is not polemical and goes right to the primary texts (and I believe he does so in the original languages). Hence, his supposed "oversight" of the best western scholarship is nonsense, as Dr. Bradshaw's work IS the best western, secondary writing on his topic. No need to bow to the clouded and prejudiced views of those who have gone before.
Moving on:
Dr. Bradshaw's painstakingly documented and detailed demonstration and explication of the fundamental difference between the views about God held by the Christian East and West (since the ascendency of Augustinian theology) is a must read for all serious 'theologians,' Eastern and Western, Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox alike.
The first crucial point that Bradshaw argues, and which I believe he has demonstrated, is that Eastern Christianity used the language of the ancient Greek philosphy to go beyond the concepts and content of that philosophy to explain the new information about God offered by Christian revelation. More importantly, Bradshaw precisely demonstrates how Eastern Christianity employed Greek philosophical words and embued them with extended or new meaning to explain that God is personal and beyond conceptualization and, furthermore, that mankind can really participate in divine life without pantheistic absorption. Indeed, the notion that God as personal, not an idea, set of ideas, or an impersonal force of somekind -- and more, that man can partificate in divine life without pantheistic absorption -- was entirely alien to pre-Christian Hellenic thinking.
The second crucial point that Bradshaw argues, and I believe that he demonstrates, is that Augustinian theology not only used certain terminology of ancient Greek philosophy but also conflated the God of Christian revelation with certain concepts from the content of philosphy, thereby trapping God into a conceptual box, so to speak. Specifically, by limiting God to "being itself" in agreement with neoPlatonic philosophy (an apparently self-evident human logic) but contrary to the often mysterious traditions of authentic, apostolic Christian revelation, the Christian West developed an inauthentic systematic theology (both in neoPlatonic Augustianism and Aristolelian Thomism), which was based on a conceptual idol, not the unlimited God of revelation, and worse yet, an idol whose 'life' no man could ever participate in or share -- a God of intellectual contemplation of estatic beholding (an neat idea?; a beautiful picture?) but nothing more.
Finally, Bradshaw invites further scholarship and hard thinking about the possibility that western theology (or perhaps more appropriately western intellectual idolatry) created the fertile ground for the Enlightenment and all the disaster it birthed: the genocidal Twentieth Century. Of course, the fact that the Christian East experienced no Enlightenment and no Reformation is not proof that the idiocyncracies of western theology caused those events, but it does raise the question. And Bradshaw pinpoints the dubious aspects of western theology that best support the view that post-schism western Christianity has planted the seeds of its own destruction and perhaps of the world.
Energeia in philosophy and christian theology.......2005-07-08
This is a very important and timely book. I found it very exciting and its implications far reaching.
In very broad terms, the book deals with the articulation and the implications of the actual historical development of the relationship between Christian faith (theology and spiritual life) and philosophy (or reason in general). The author points out the "important and urgent task" faced by historians of philosophy - to answer questions like: When and how the division between faith and reason occur? What was the turn in history that triggered such a division and was it inevitable? The specific approach that David Bradshaw undertakes is to consider the above questions in the light of the split between the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West. How did it happen that the division of faith and reason is a strictly Western phenomenon and did not practically happen in the Christian East? Bradshaw's motivation is expressed very clearly: "if we are to understand the long story of western philosophy properly, then we must take into account of the eastern alternative."
How does Bradshaw approach his comparative study? First, he focuses on the formation of the two traditions up to the point in history where each of them had achieved a relatively definitive form - Thomas Aquinas in the West and Gregory Palamas in the East. Second, and here is what I found to be one of the most exciting parts, he chooses energeia as a connecting thread in his comparison. Energeia is a Greek used for the first time by Aristotle (this determines the special place for him in the title of the book) and usually translated as activity, actuality, operation or energy. It is a term that has been fundamental in Eastern Christian theology since the first centuries up to present days. To be more precise, the teaching of the Greek Church Fathers on the relationship between man and God can be properly understood only if one knows the difference between "created" and "uncreated" and the difference between "essence" and "energy" in God (see for example John Romanides, An Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics, Orthodox Research Institute, Rollinsford, New Hampshire, 2004). The possibility and the ultimate destiny of human kind to participate in the uncreated energies of God, to be purified, illumined and deified in this present life, are a core teaching of the Eastern Christian tradition. The distinction between essence and energy, however, has long been recognized as one of the most important differences between Eastern and Western Christian thought. David Bradshaw shows precisely how energeia, after its "invention" by Aristotle and the evolution of its meaning within the context of Neoplatonism, developed into two branches: "energies" in the East and esse (the Latin infinitive of "to be) in the West. Bradshaw does not focus only on Christian tradition viewing earlier developments as a mere preamble to it. He thinks this would be a distortion of history. His generic (if I can call it that way) historical approach is in the heart of his argumentation. This is what makes Bradshaw's work academically sound and convincing.
Bradshaw's analysis is impressive with its historicity, constructiveness, integrity, depth and far reaching implications. It underlines the continuous coherence of the Byzantine theology and its roots in apophaticism as an inherent epistemological refusal to limit the truth to its rational definition and ignore its experiential reality. Unsurprisingly, Thomas Aquinas' teaching is seen in the light of Augustine's legacy. Bradshaw, however, finds that Palamas, too, is best understood in the same way - as a reaction to Augustine's influence to Barlaam of Calabria. This approach to the understanding of Palamas' articulation of his teaching on the divine energies was previously indicated by John Romanides (see for example
http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.15.en.notes_on_the_palamite_controversy.01.htm) and is now comprehensively developed by Bradshaw as another connecting thread in the comparison.
Bradshaw finds that the differences between the Eastern and the Western traditions can be summarized in single word: synergy. For the East the highest form of communion with the divine is not an intellectual act (as in Augustine) but sharing of life and activity. The emphasis was on the ongoing and active appropriation of those aspects of the divine life that are open to participation. In the West, synergy played remarkably little role. Bradshaw finds that the major reason for that is, before everything, linguistic. Most of the Greek works articulating the notion of synergy were not translated into Latin. In addition, Latin did not offer terms as suitable as energeia to situate the meaning of co-sharing and partaking within a broader metaphysical context. Augustine's legacy of God's simplicity was to dominant in the West to allow a distinction between God in what He is in himself (essence) and in what he is in his openness to creation (his uncreated energies) leading to "a sense of distance between God and creatures, a kind of spiritual dualism artificially separating human body and soul, and a kind of naturalism expressed through the assumption that there is a sphere of natural reason independent of revelation."
Bradshaw believes to "have treated the historical material impartially with the aim of arriving at a sympathetic understanding of both traditions within their own context" and I believe he has really done so. This, however, does not mean that he does not clearly express his own views which I would identify as "pro-Eastern." This makes me think of his work as a well articulated invitation for a constructive re-thinking of the history of Western Christianity in the light of its own origins from the times of the first centuries and of the first Ecumenical Councils when the Church was One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. This rethinking seems to be critically important in the present modern times where globalization is part of everyday life. I find it also critically important within the context of the ongoing complex process of European integration.
Well, what then is so exciting about using energeia as a connecting thread in the comparison of the Christian East and West? I think that energy is a very abused term. It is used in many different contexts and, sometimes, with questionable meanings. Physicists, for example, tend to look at the meaning of energy in a mechanistic way - the capacity of a body or a system to perform work. Here is a paragraph from Richard Feynman (Six easy pieces, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1975): "There is a certain quantity, which we call energy, that does not change in the manifold changes which nature undergoes. ... [Yet] it is important to realize in physics today, we have no knowledge of what energy is." The concept of energy has some popularity in psychology, too. It was initiated by a Russian psychologist - V. M. Bekhterev - and his "Collective reflexology" published in 1921 and republished in 2001 (L.H. Strickland (Ed.), New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers). For Bekhterev human "reflexes" were manifestations of energy output following transformations of energy input and thus the reflexes of individuals and groups might become explainable in the same terms applying to energy in physical systems. The specific meaning of energy, however, is far from being strictly defined.
So, we can think that there is a well defined modern meaning of the term energy but, actually, there is not. I think that the book of David Bradshaw is an important first systematic contribution to the clarification of the metaphysical understanding of the term energy in general.
Stoyan Tanev, Physicist, Theology student
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
West meets East in this scholarly but readable book.......2005-06-18
Prof. Bradshaw has written a brilliant but readable book for serious thinkers. The subject itself is difficult, but Bradshaw does a masterful job of making it as plain as possible. The reader who perseveres will be rewarded with a clear and compelling contrast between two very different Gods: a Western God who can be rationally comprehended but only seen from some distance, in the Beatific Vision, and an Eastern God who is beyond comprehension but whose divine nature is not seen but shared, through participation in the divine energeia. Bradshaw clearly favors the latter, but the reader is left to judge for himself which view better fits the biblical testimony, in which we are called to be "joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17) and "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). The book should be especially enlightening to Protestant and Evangelical readers, to whom the Orthodox teaching on "divine energy" sometimes seems bizarre. After they read this book, it will not seem so.
The book also provides a scholarly corrective to the ignorant notion that the coming of Christianity meant the end of reason and the "closing of the Western mind." The truth is exactly the opposite. As Bradshaw shows, the neoplatonist school of late pagan philosophy was edging its way toward Christianity and ultimately approximated the Christian understanding of God with its own trinities of "the One, Intellect, and Soul" and "Being, Life, and Intellect." What neoplatonism lacked was a sense of divine personhood and a compelling reason to believe its own speculation. Christianity satisfied such deficiencies with an incarnate Christ, a convincing historical narrative, a rich liturgical heritage, and a welcoming human community, in addition to a theology that in time far surpassed anything the philosophers were capable of. Far from being the end of philosophy, Christianity was its fulfillment.
The book should furthermore prompt readers to rethink the false dichotomy of philosophy and theology. As Bradshaw shows, the great Greek philosophical tradition of Plato and Aristotle was fundamentally theological. Take out the theology and the philosophy dies. The proof is in today's academy, where philosophy is taught as archaeology, a field of dead ideas of interest only to academics, leading students not to truth but to doubt and despair. No wonder that Christians themselves have taken to talking in terms of a Christian "worldview," when what they mean is what the ancients called philosophy. With this book and others like it, perhaps we can recover a better appreciation for the "Holy Wisdom" that enlightened the ancient world before darkness entirely overtakes our modern one.
Book Description
This text combines discussions of major classical Western philosophical ethical systems (primarily Greek and Judeo-Christian) and, in equal depth, discussions of three non-Western ethical traditions (Indian Buddhist, Chinese Confucian, and Chinese Taoist) in a multi-cultural historical framework.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Read and Highly Informative.......2007-05-14
As a college student, it could be quite daunting to take on certain philosophy texts. Some can be completely dry. Some could just drone on and on. But even to an individual with limited interest in ethics will find this book rather accesible. There are many moments in this book where the average student will say, "oh, I get it". So whether you are buying this book as a requirement or to fullfill you curiosity in ethics, this book is a great buy. Even though I purchased this book as a requirement, it will always have a nice little home on my bookshelf. Zeuschner rules all!
Short and Sweet Ethics text.......2002-10-16
For college students that do not have much time to read, this book offers the basics on the major ethical positions from around the world -- not just from the west! There are nice biographical pieces and the position summaries are broken up nicely. For a short introductory ethics course this or the Clark and Poortenga seem to be targeting our contemporary students well.
Amazon.com
Who is the bestselling poet in the United States? Allen Ginsburg? Robert Frost? Walt Whitman? How about Jalal al-Din Rumi? Rumi-mania has struck hard, inspiring rock bands, high fashion, modern dance, and opera. All this from the son of an Islamic preacher born in the foothills of the Pamir Mountains in 1207. If you'd like to separate the hype from the facts, look no further than Franklin Lewis's pièce de résistance, Rumi: Past and Present, East and West, the last word in Rumi scholarship. The first half is a biography of sorts, in which Lewis examines the available information about Rumi's father, his mentors, their teachings, and Rumi's own activities. In the second half, he takes up Rumi, himself, his writings, his message, and the Mevlevi order that grew up around him. He summarizes Western scholarship on Rumi, and perhaps most interesting for the poetry lover, he evaluates translations of Rumi, going back as far as the early 19th century and right up to Coleman Barks and Deepak Chopra. For an academic, Lewis writes with a refreshing swiftness, aplomb, and wit--characteristics Rumi would appreciate. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
This long awaited paperback edition describes the key events in Rumi's magical life story: his unusual childhood, his relationship with his father, and his intense, though controversial, affection for a wandering dervish.
Customer Reviews:
Great Scholarship, but Light on the Poetry.......2007-09-17
I agree with the other reviewers that the scholarship that went into creating this exceptional biography of Rumi and his historical era was exceptional. The level of detail present in this book would be hard to come by in a biography of a more recent historical figure.
My one issue with this book is the general lack of Rumi's poems. I would estimate that there were about 30 or so full poems translated in this book. Clearly, the writer's focus was on Rumi's life, but why title it "...The Life, Teachings and Poetry..." if only to include a brief sampling of the poet's works. Rumi was a mystical poet who translated his life and religious understanding into his work. Without a greater breadth of his work, it is hard to understand who he is. I was although more disappointed by this because the translations in the book were excellent. He wisely decided to translate the content into a lyrical form suitable to English rather than trying to imitate the original Persian poetic forms that Rumi used.
I feel like this book could have been more complete with more poems. Don't buy this book expecting to read much of his work. Buy this book if you want exceptional scholarship on Rumi, his teachers, and his times.
Superlative job!.......2006-01-25
If I could give this book TEN STARS, I would. Prof. Franklin Lewis has done a superlative job in bringing out different facets of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi and his father Baha al-Din, his mentor Borhan al-Din, his charismatic awakener Shams al-Din, along the way clearing up various myths and baseless rumors about these men. Not only does Prof. Lewis paint a full picture of the context for Rumi's development, he gives us a long, in-depth analysis of various phases of Mawlana's life, then provides a shorter "recap" synopsis of his career; presents us with exciting, authentic translations of 50 Rumi poems; gives us a candid assessment of various translators old and new of Rumi's works; outlines the interesting history of the manuscripts of his works; traces the history of the Mevlevi Order; and much more (among other things, I was grateful for his mention of the excellent but relatively unknown Rumi translator Ibrahim Gamard, whose website on Rumi is a goldmine of excellent scholarly translations of many sections of the Masnavi, the Divan, etc. And while your at it, also see Iranian-American poet Zara Houshmand's excellent rhyming translations of Rumi's quatrains at www.iranian.com)
Anyone at all interested in Mawlana in more than a passing fashion simply MUST have Prof. Lewis' Rumi book on their shelves. What a treasure trove!
Now, here's hoping that Prof. Lewis will turn his considerable talents to expand his doctoral dissertation on Hakim Sana'i (d.1131) into a lengthy book on that great Persian Sufi poet-sage (who was such an inspiration to Rumi). And, maybe further down the road, he'll bring us books on Farid al-Din Attar and the later Persian poet Hafiz?? Here's hoping...
Just this one fine book on Rumi is a lifetime achievement.
Rumi: the man behind the mystic poet........2001-11-03
"Light a fire of love within your soul," Rumi tells us, "burn up these thoughts and words from head to toe" (p. 400). In his impressive, 686-page scholarly study of Jalal al-Din Rumi, Persian scholar Franklin Lewis illuminates the man behind the thirteenth century mystic poet and preacher. Through his meticulous research, Lewis, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta, offers us "a glimpse" into Rumi's life, as well as new insights into Rumi's teachings, widely-popular poetry, and modern influence.
"Three short phrases tell the story of my life," Rumi said, "I was raw, I got cooked, I burned" (p. 404). Many of the biographical details of Rumi's life remain unknown. ""Most of what we know about Rumi," Lewis writes, "comes to us clouded by a heavy mist of myth and legend" (p. 272). We follow Rumi from his birth to an Islamic preacher in September, 1207 (p. 272) to his death on December 17, 1273 (p. 276). Along the way, Lewis reveals that his subject married at a young age, about seventeen (p. 320), fathered two children, pursued legal and religious studies in Aleppo and Damascus (p. 273), became a lawyer or professor of law (pp. 123, 274), married again (after his first wife died) and fathered at least two more children (p. 320) before his death. Lewis also examines Rumi's relationship with Shams al-Din Tabrizi, the encounter that transformed Rumi's spirituality; "he became more ecstatic in his worship, expressing his love for God not only in a careful attitude of self-renunciation and control, but also through the joy of poetry, music and meditative dance" (p. 274). Rumi and Shams became "Sufi Bohemians," tasting life for themselves. Their path involved "disciplining and training one's soul, watching over one's heart and concentrating the mind on God" (p. 34). Rumi tells us that "the law of religion is like a candle that shows us the way; without that candle we cannot even set foot on the spiritual path. Once the way is lit with the light of the law, the wayfarer begins his spiritual quest" (p. 37). When Shams disappeared mysteriously, we witness Rumi's "frenetic quest to recover the vision of this spiritual guide turned inward" to the point where Rumi discovers Shams "within himself" (p. 275). Inspired by this remarkable relationship, Rumi composed more than 60,000 lines of verse (p. 314). Lewis includes a sampling of fifty Rumi poems in his book.
Lewis tells us that his book should be considered a starting point, at best, for understanding Rumi. Although it should not be considered "the final and definitive biography of Rumi," Lewis writes, it is "intended, then, as a kind of Rumi bible, a manual for anyone interested in the life, poetry, teachings and influence of Jalal al-Din Rumi, who has been called the greatest poet of mankind. The whirling dervishes plant one foot on the floor with their toes fixed around a wooden peg and turn in Rumi's memory. In like manner, I hope this book will help ground all lovers of Rumi as they circle, moth-like, around the flame of his works" (pp. 8-9).
G. Merritt
Not that it matters, however important for researchers.......2001-09-09
At the time of Rumi/Molana/Molavi/Jalaledin Mohammad Balkhi and many tens of centuries before it and centuries after, there was no country called Afghanistan (how could he be an Afghani when Afghanistan didn't exist). I fully understand this is besides the message he conveys in his books, however from a scholarly point of view it would be appropriate to identify his country appropriately. Dari and Persian are the same language (two names for the same language), my friend Dari is short for Darbari, the language of Iran (Persia).
Psychology, Hermeneutics and Rumi.......2000-09-19
Rumi's works are valuable as social science in their reference to psychological development (the journey of soul). In order to understand Rumi, one must take a classical hermeneutical stance to uncover his intended meanings. This can only be done well if one understands Rumi himself. Franklin Lewis' text is now the greatest aid in so doing: there is no other extant text that gives such a thorough and accurate portrait of Rumi. It offers in-depth description and analysis of his antecedents, as well as the 13th century contemporary influences on his own psychological development. Other than Rumi's works themselves, no other book has been written that allows such insight into who he really was. Professor Lewis has written a work that is an invaluable aid in hermeneutically understanding Rumi, and in providing a richness of context through which one can better decode Rumi's own meaning-making.
Book Description
Still funny after two thousand years, the Roman playwright Plautus wrote around 200 B.C.E., a period when Rome was fighting neighbors on all fronts, including North Africa and the Near East. These three plays--originally written for a wartime audience of refugees, POWs, soldiers and veterans, exiles, immigrants, people newly enslaved in the wars, and citizens--tap into the mix of fear, loathing, and curiosity with which cultures, particularly Western and Eastern cultures, often view each other, always a productive source of comedy. These current, accessible, and accurate translations have replaced terms meaningful only to their original audience, such as references to Roman gods, with a hilarious, inspired sampling of American popular culture--from songs to movie stars to slang. Matching the original Latin line for line, this volume captures the full exuberance of Plautus's street language, bursting with puns, learned allusions, ethnic slurs, dirty jokes, and profanities, as it brings three rarely translated works--Weevil (Curculio), Iran Man (Persa), and Towelheads (Poenulus)--to a wide contemporary audience.
Richlin's erudite introduction sets these plays within the context of the long history of East-West conflict and illuminates the role played by comedy and performance in imperialism and colonialism. She has also provided detailed and wide-ranging contextual introductions to the individual plays, as well as extensive notes, which, together with these superb and provocative translations, will bring Plautus alive for a new generation of readers and actors.
Average customer rating:
- Not a Pontifical; a history and resource
|
Ordination Rites of the Ancient Churches of East and West
Paul F. Bradshaw
Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Early Christian Worship: A Basic Introduction to Ideas and Practice
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Eucharistic Origins
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The Oxford History of Christian Worship
ASIN: 0925127000 |
Customer Reviews:
Not a Pontifical; a history and resource.......2004-12-23
Paul F. Bradshaw, a well known liturgical scholar, has presented for consideration the various texts used throughout the Eastern and Western Rites in the ancient world for the ordination of deacons, presbyters, and bishops - as well as deaconesses, lectors, acolytes... virtually every ministry with a commissioning or ordination rite from the ancient world.
However, make no mistake, this is not a book that is to be sat on the bishop's lap to conduct ordinations -- it is a book for study, reflection, and consideration as we forge ahead in our liturgical era to prepare new rites for our own day.
Those who have a deep love for the patristic church know well that the future of our faith lays not in the development of new doctrines and beliefs but in the deeper understanding and practice of the ancient faith. Bradshaw's book provides the information needed to mediate upon at least a part of that ancient faith - the ordination of clergy.
These prayers are filled with biblical imagery, and show a glimpse of the faith-life of our brothers and sisters from nearly two-thousand years ago.
This is a must have for those interested in the theology of ministry and the liturgical rites surrounding Christian Ordination.
Book Description
Healing East & West Ancient Wisdom and Modern Psychology.
"A magnificent volume that blends both intellectual and spiritual approaches to create a new vision of healing. It belongs in the libraries of all those interested in the healing process."âJoan Borysenko, Ph.D., President, Mind/Body Health Sciences, Inc.
"An excellent resource for information regarding the variety of healing modalities. The contributors write with expertise and present with inspiration the necessary information. Science, spirituality, and mysticism are all well-represented in this manual of healing."âBernie Siegel, M.D., Author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles.
"A richly interesting and enjoyable book that successfully integrates a multicultural approach to healing . . . a substantial book, well-researched and clearly written by its many contributors."âComplementary Medical Research.
"A solid contribution to a dialogue that is rapidly coming to attract the attention . . . of the mainstream of the Western healing professions. It should help to convince many . . . that this is a cross-cultural collaboration that they too should take seriously." âBritish Journal of Psychology.
"This is the most comprehensive effort at bringing together the achievements of the Eastern and Western healing traditions . . . a far-reaching integration of the best of both worlds."âKaran Singh, Ph.D., Author of The Religions of India.
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