Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms

Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East

Gerard Russell (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

352 Seiten

2014
Basic Civitas Books (Verlag)
978-0-465-03056-9 (ISBN)

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Despite its reputation for religious intolerance, the Middle East has long sheltered many distinctive and strange faiths: one regards the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, another reveres Lucifer in the form of a peacock, and yet another believes that their followers are reincarnated beings who have existed in various forms for thousands of years. These religions represent the last vestiges of the magnificent civilizations in ancient history: Persia, Babylon, Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Their followers have learned how to survive foreign attacks and the perils of assimilation. But today, with the Middle East in turmoil, they face greater challenges than ever before. In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell ventures to the distant, nearly impassable regions where these mysterious religions still cling to survival. He lives alongside the Mandaeans and Ezidis of Iraq, the Zoroastrians of Iran, the Copts of Egypt, and others. He learns their histories, participates in their rituals, and comes to understand the threats to their communities.
Historically a tolerant faith, Islam has, since the early 20th century, witnessed the rise of militant, extremist sects. This development, along with the rippling effects of Western invasion, now pose existential threats to these minority faiths. And as more and more of their youth flee to the West in search of greater freedoms and job prospects, these religions face the dire possibility of extinction. Drawing on his extensive travels and archival research, Russell provides an essential record of the past, present, and perilous future of these remarkable religions.

Gerard Russell is a Senior Associate at the Foreign Policy Centre in London. He was a diplomat for 15 years, serving in the British Foreign Office and the United Nations, and speaks fluent Arabic and Dari. Russell is a member of the Order of the British Empire and lives in London.

Foreword by Rory Stewart Timeline Map of the Forgotten Kingdoms Introduction Chapter 1: Mandaeans Chapter 2. Yazidis Chapter 3. Zoroastrians Chapter 4. Druze Chapter 5. Samaritans Chapter 6. Copts Chapter 7. Kalasha Epilogue: Detroit

Erscheint lt. Verlag	21.10.2014
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 235 mm
Gewicht	585 g
Themenwelt	Reisen ► Reiseführer ► Naher Osten
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Religionsgeschichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie
ISBN-10	0-465-03056-4 / 0465030564
ISBN-13	978-0-465-03056-9 / 9780465030569
Zustand	Neuware