Christian History articles from May 2002

Christian History archives from May 2002

Did you know? Unusual fruits of Western encounters with Islam.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... DAFFODILS AND TURBANS Though most closely associated now with the Netherlands, tulips hail from modern-day Turkey. Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, the Holy Roman Empire's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the mid-1500s, noticed the striking...

The cover's story. (From the Editor).(Brief Article)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2002... On January 27, 537, Byzantine Emperor Justinian dedicated the magnificent Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople. "Glory to God, Who has deemed me worthy of fulfilling such a work," he prayed. "O Solomon, I have surpassed...

Confused no more. (From the Readers).
May 1, 2002... I devoured the issue on Thomas Aquinas. I was surprised that somewhere I had picked up some very incorrect information about this great man. I labored under the misconception that he taught that when the human race fell, it was only partial...

Remember the Reformation? (From the Readers).
May 1, 2002... The articles in the recent issue gave a very imbalanced picture, possibly because every one of the authors appeared to be writing from the Roman Catholic perspective. There is nothing wrong with this as long as it is good scholarship,...

Miscellany. (From the Readers).
May 1, 2002... On page 2 ("Did You Know?"), under the heading "Lighten Up," mention was made of Aquinas's dispute over "one completely silly question." I just wanted to point out that this same dispute occurred before King Darius in the apocryphal book of...

Muhammad amid the faiths: the Prophet's interactions with paganism, Judaism, and Christianity birthed puzzling prophecies and a legacy of strife.
May 1, 2002... An old Arab tradition tells of Abraha, a powerful Christian warrior from Abyssinia, who was set to besiege Mecca just after the middle of the sixth century. Abraha wanted to destroy the ka'ba, the main shrine of Mecca, along with its idols....

Secrets of Islam's success: it spread faster than any other religion in history. Here are some reasons why.
May 1, 2002... When Muhammad died, in 632, Islam could boast only semi-stable control over part of the Arabian peninsula. The prophet's territorial gains had been mainly pagan losses. Further expansion required conquest of Christian lands--a task that would...

A deadly give and take: c\Crusaders fought many terrible battles in the Middle East, but Muslims started--and won--the war.
May 1, 2002... Osama bin Laden called America's response to September 11, a "new crusade and Jewish campaign led by the big crusader Bush under the flag of the cross." He clearly meant to link the military campaign to European campaigns from a millennium...

3 phases of Christian-Muslim interaction. (The Christian History Timeline).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Islamic Ascendancy 570 ^ Muhammad born 610 Gabriel calls Muhammad to be a prophet of Allah 622 Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Medina 632 Muhammad dies 638 Jerusalem surrenders to Muslim...

Spiritual warriors: as their brethren attacked Muslim fortresses, these evangelistic crusaders fought for Muslim souls. (The Gallery).
May 1, 2002... TRAILBLAZING PREACHER Francis of Assisi 1181-1226 Writing his first Rule in 1209, 27-year-old Francis called on his followers to preach to and convert Muslims: "Let any brother who desires by divine inspiration to go among the...

From crusades to homeland defense: Martin Luther responded to Islam with a new military philosophy, fresh focus on the Qur'an, and provocative readings of biblical prophecy.
May 1, 2002... "Ego usque ad mortem luctor adversus Turcas et Turcarum Deum," Martin Luther wrote. "I will always struggle to the death against the Turks and the god of the Turks." Luther was not the only European of his era to fear a deadly battle...

Four jihads: jihad means more than warfare, but the sword is central to Islam's texts, its history, and its founder.
May 1, 2002... Recently terrorist activities by purportedly Muslim groups have increased debate over the place of violence in true Islam. Moderate Muslims say violence has no place, because Islam is a religion of peace. In their minds, it is as unfair to...

Divided by Christ: whether Christians under early Muslim rule used polemic or polite dialogue to defend their faith, they hit an impasse at the Incarnation.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Christians who lived under Muslim rule in the eighth century found themselves with an unusual status--second-class but sometimes respected, more often pitied for their "inferior" religion than directly persecuted. This led to some interesting...

Imperial evasion: when the West finally gained influence in the Islamic world, Christians lost their nerve.
May 1, 2002... In the nineteenth century meeting with the Islamic world, Europe, while sometimes changing its mind, believed it already knew all that was necessary. Thus Western thought frequently engaged, not in a debate with Islam, but in internal debates...

Justice and peace: because broken promises fueled Islamic militancy, the road to stability must be paved with good faith. (The Link Interview).(Interview)
May 1, 2002... For all the Western media talks about the "Arab street," most of us can scarcely imagine what that world is really like. Fuller Seminary professor J. Dudley Woodberry knows. Since 1957, he has studied, taught, and ministered in Lebanon,...

Christians & Muslims. (Recommended Resources).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Because the topic of Christian-Muslim relations is so broad, this issue will likely raise as many questions as it answers. Here are some suggestions for further exploration. General Introductions Scholar Bernard Lewis deserves the...