Ethiopian Christianity

History, Theology, Practice
Erscheinungsjahr 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4813-0675-1
Verlag: Baylor University Press

Buch, Englisch, 277 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 216 mm

In  Ethiopian Christianity Philip Esler presents a rich and comprehensive history of Christianity's flourishing. But Esler is ever careful to situate this growth in the context of Ethiopia's politics and culture. In so doing, he highlights the remarkable uniqueness of Christianity in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Christianity begins with ancient accounts of Christianity's introduction to Ethiopia by St. Frumentius and King Ezana in the early 300s CE. Esler traces how the church and the monarchy closely coexisted, a reality that persisted until the death of Haile Selassie in 1974. This relationship allowed the emperor to consider himself the protector of Orthodox Christianity. The emperor's position, combined with Ethiopia's geographical isolation, fostered a distinct form of Christianity—one that features the inextricable intertwining of the ordinary with the sacred and rejects the two-nature Christology established at the Council of Chalcedon.In addition to his historical narrative, Esler also explores the cultural traditions of Ethiopian Orthodoxy by detailing its intellectual and literary practices, theology, and creativity in art, architecture, and music. He provides profiles of the flourishing Protestant denominations and Roman Catholicism. He also considers current challenges that Ethiopian Christianity faces—especially Orthodoxy's relations with other religions within the country, in particular Islam and the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Esler concludes with thoughtful reflections on the long-standing presence of Christianity in Ethiopia and hopeful considerations for its future in the country's rapidly changing politics, ultimately revealing a singular form of faith found nowhere else.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Afrikanische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christliche Kirchen, Konfessionen, Denominationen Östliche & Orientalische Orthodoxe Kirchen

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- Part One: Introduction
- 1. Locating Ethiopian Christianity
- Part Two: The History of Orthodox Ethiopian Christianity
- 2. The Advent of Christianity in Ethiopia
- 3. Fifth to Seventeenth Centuries
- 4. Mid-seventeenth Century to the Present
- Part Three: Ethiopian Orthodoxy
- 5. Intellectual and Literary Traditions
- 6. Art, Architecture, and Music
- 7. Theology
- Part Four: Other Ethiopian Christianities
- 8. Protestantism
- 9. Catholicism
- Part Five: Conclusion
- 10. The Future of Christianity in Ethiopia

Über Autor(innen)

Philip F. Esler is Portland Chair in New Testament Studies in the School of Education and Humanities at the University of Gloucestershire.