Publisher's Synopsis
For the great monotheistic religions, thoughts of the 'Holy Land' automatically turn to Palestine. That Holy Land has been central to Christian history over the past 2000 years, from the establishment of the early church, through the Crusades, to the present day, when native Christians are in a minority, but Christian tourists abound. Even when not physically controlled by Christians, Palestine and its image are important to the Christian consciousness. Moreover, as a concept, the idea of 'Holy Land' has proved elastic and potent, capable of being divorced from its Levantine particularity to provide models for hopes for the future, and to validate existing societies and political communities, supplying moral drive and psychological support. This collection of twenty-five essays addresses a wide range of issues tied to this broad theme, from the patristic period to the present day. Palestine, and concerns for Palestine, provide a core; but attention also ranges to 'Holy Lands' in America, Russia, seventeenth-century England, and post-Reformation Transylvania.;The papers clearly and lucidly demonstrate the constant, continuing, and multi-faceted significance of the Holy Land, real and idealised, in Christian history.
