Persian Christians at the Chinese Court - The Xi'an Stele and the Early Medieval Church of the East (Hardcover)

The Xi'an Stele, erected in Tang China's capital in 781, describes in both Syriac and Chinese the existence of Christian communities in northern China. While scholars have so far considered the Stele exclusively in relation to the Chinese cultural and historical context, Todd Godwin here demonstrates that it can only be fully understood by reconstructing the complex connections that existed between the Church of the East, Sasanian aristocratic culture and the Tang Empire (617-907) between the fall of the Sasanian Persian Empire (225-651) and the birth of the Abbasid Caliphate (762-1258). Through close textual re-analysis of the Stele and by drawing on ancient sources in Syriac, Greek, Arabic and Chinese, Godwin demonstrates that Tang China (617-907) was a cosmopolitan milieu where multiple religious traditions, namely Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Christianity, formed zones of elite culture. Syriac Christianity in fact remained powerful in Persia throughout the period, and Christianity - not Zoroastrianism - was officially regarded by the Tang government as 'The Persian Religion'.Persian Christians at the Chinese Court uncovers the role played by Syriac Christianity in the economic and cultural integration of late Sasanian Iran and China, and is important reading for all scholars of the Church of the East, China and the Middle East in the medieval period.

General

Imprint:	I.B. Tauris
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Library of Medieval Studies
Release date:	2018
Authors:	R. Todd Godwin
Dimensions:	216 x 138 x 29mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	320
ISBN-13:	978-1-78453-880-4
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Humanities > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Orthodox Churches Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > General Books > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Orthodox Churches Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Christianity > Orthodox Churches
LSN:	1-78453-880-9
Barcode:	9781784538804

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!