How did a community that was largely invisible in the first two centuries of its existence go on to remake the civilizations it inhabited; culturally; politically; and intellectually? Beginning with the life of Jesus; Robert Louis Wilken narrates the dramatic spread and development of Christianity over the first thousand years of its history. Moving through the formation of early institutions; practices; and beliefs to the transformations of the Roman world after the conversion of Constantine; he sheds new light on the subsequent stories of Christianity in the Latin West; the Byzantine and Slavic East; the Middle East; and Central Asia.Through a selected narration of particularly noteworthy persons and events; Wilken demonstrates how the coming of Christianity set in motion one of the most profound revolutions the world has known. This is not a story limited to the West; rather; Christian communities in Ethiopia; Nubia; Armenia; Georgia; Persia; Central Asia; India; and China shaped the course of Christian history. The rise and spread of Islam had a lasting impact on the future of Christianity; and several chapters are devoted to the early experiences of Christians under Muslim rule. Wilken reminds us that the career of Christianity is characterized by decline and attrition as well as by growth and expansion. Ten years in the making and the result of a lifetime of study; this is Robert Louis Wilken’s summa; a moving; reflective; and commanding account from a scholar at the height of his powers.
#1584595 in Books Yale University Press 2012-12-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .80 x 5.80l; 1.10 #File Name: 0300187432320 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The boyhood home of Thomas JeffersonBy Ronald H. ClarkShadwell was the childhood home of Thomas Jefferson; and it was situated adjacent to what he later developed into Monticello. For the period of the 1730's through the 1770's; it was the home of his parents; Peter and Jane Jefferson. Thereafter it fell into disuse and eventually was put into agricultural production; further obliterating the household buildings. Substantial archaelogical excavations have been undertaken on the site; especially during the 1990's. The author participated in some of this work.As it turns out; this is a book of very many pleasant surprises. I had assumed it would be focused on archaelogical discoveries; which to an extent it is. But it is so much more. The author wants to use the Shadwell site as a case study in how "material culture"; such as the household items excavated at Shadwell; when combined with the more traditional historical tools of documents (such as wills; surveys; maps; probate records; diaries; and family records) can add to a more nuanced historical analysis than documents alone. I was surprised as well at the extensive research conducted by the author in secondary and traditional primary documentary sources--her 55 pages of detailed endnotes attest to her diligence. The author also is interested in how culture spread in colonial Virginia; particularly by socioeconomic means and not just geographic diffusion. The fact that Jefferson; Madison and others; living on the edge of a primitive continent; nonetheless were cosmopolitan in their outlook and sufficiently educated to draft the Declaration; the Constitution; and the Federalist Papers; attests to why this is such an important topic. Another surprise is that the author devotes substantial attention to the enslaved peoples who also lived at Shadwell; even interactions with Indians and their culture that occurred are also covered.The book is organized into chapters on key topics: the house itself; women's work (including care of children; choosing furnishing; food preparation; and the use of household slaves); the material culture of a well-to-do Virginia gentry family; slave life and fieldwork; the business conducted by Peter Jefferson (surveying and land investment); elite culture and interactions; family history; including kinship networks for both the elite and the enslaved; and some possible influences upon TJ from growing up and spending his entire life in a slave society.So there is quite a lot of solid analysis in this book. In effect; the author is using Peter Jefferson's family as a case study in the elite; intellectual leadership of colonial Virginia: its interaction with other elites; coexistence with slaves; economic activities; town development; and church involvement. Peter Jefferson was; we might say today; ambitious and "on the make;" using his ability to loan money and public offices to enhance his power and family's standing. As interested as I am in TJ; I must admit the picture of his father that emerges makes it quite understandable as to why he emerged to be the unique individual he was. The author also; as an aside; works to refute any contention that TJ and his mother Jane were at odds throughout their lives. These and other facets of the author's analysis render this just an indispensable book on colonial Virginia and the early life of Thomas Jefferson.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Jeffrey P. LawrentzGreat book on a subject that has long needed to have been written about. Nice job!!3 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Not what I expected; but interesting nonthelessBy Alain ManningThe title suggested that the book would be about the Jeffersons life at Shadwell; of which very little is known. I was expecting to be enlightened as to Thomas's childhood relationship with his parents. I found the book to be more about the geological diggings at Shadwell; which were interesting in their own way. The maps are difficult to understand; probably due to their size; and not detail.In the end I learned about the sort of life the Jeffersons might have expereinced based on what has been discovered during the dig; and the size and shape of their house. I suppose information about the realtionship between Thomas and his parents is lost because of the Shadwell fire and that Thomas burned all his communication with his mother. Too bad; I wish some letters had survived to give us a glimse into Thomas' thoughts about his mother. It seems most historians site a rough relationship between them.
