The transformation of a vast area - from central Spain to the delta of the Indus and from the Sahara desert and the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean; the Caucasus; the Central Asian deserts; and the Hindu Kush - into a land controlled by Islam was accomplished within roughly a century. The traditions of this world were many and diverse; and the historical; political; religious; social and art-historical threads of these varied influences are woven together into an illuminating narrative. This volume presents a historical survey of the period which is based on the wealth of available information and the steps which are being made towards a critical discourse on Islamic art. Within the historical structure; the subject is divided by region; covering architecture; architectural decoration; the art of the book and the art of the object - textiles; ceramics; metalwork; woodwork. The broader impact of Islamic art on the non-Muslim world is also considered. The artistic and social development of identifiable areas; of the people who lived in them and the wealth of different ways of creating a beautiful environment are the focus of this book. It will be richly illustrated and will provide an unsurpassed overview of the origins of Islamic art. It is based on Ettinghausen and Grabar's original text; but has been completely rewritten to take account of subsequent information and methodological advances.
#404581 in Books 1994-08-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .87 x 6.00l; 1.30 #File Name: 0300060831374 pages
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. What?By J. RogersI really don't know what the other reviewer here is complaining about. I can only assume that by "modernist;" he means "scholarly." Wilken is a scholar of early Christianity primiarily and any quick look at what this book is about would indicate how the author intended to tackle the question of the Holy Land. Any complaint of a lack of discussion about Muslim-Jewish conflict is a misunderstanding: the book effectively ends with the Muslim conquest of Israel! It has an area of focus; which should be taken for what it is worth.As a review of Christian interpretations and understandings of the Holy Land; the book is excellent; particularly for someone one terribly familiar with the field. The opening sections discuss Jewish understanding. Wilken goes on to briefly analyze the New Testament sources. A large section of the book is devoted to early church fathers (Origen; Eusebius; Irenaeus and Justin Martyr in particular) and their writings on the city and the holy land. Overall; my only complaint is that some more time and space could have been devoted to a discussion of New Testament sources. This would have been interesting; at least just to see Wilken's opinion on difficult passages. He stops well short of a real textual analysis; leaving some questions he raises unanswered. His use of a variety of sources is compelling; interesting and shows a commendable thoroughness.As an introduction to a general study of the holy land in Christian perspective; it would serve anyone quite well. If you want to get more into interpretation of the NT sources; I have found PWL Walker's Jesus and the Holy City and WD Davies' The Gospel and the Land to be informative. The latter is older; but more thorough and; at least for me; comes across with less troublesome spots.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Excellent ScholarshipBy Christopher RiedelThis is a very well written; scholarly work. The style is graceful enough that a laymen ca appreciate what is clearly a lifetime of work on Wilken's part; while also remaining useful to it's intended academic audience.It is very important to note that this book only goes up to the Muslim conquest of 638/40. Do not get this expecting to get a picture of medieval or modern Christian beliefs of the Holy Land. This fact in particular makes some previous reviews of the book distressingly misplaced. If you are interested; as so many are after "the Davinci Code"; in the origins of Christianity; this is an excellent; challenging; and scholarly work that will be well worth your time. If you are interested in the Crusades or the modern conflict over Palestine; this will serve as deep background; but you'll have to fill in the gaps with other books.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Tangential...By compulsive readerA wonderful scholarly work. Author knows his subject very well and gives lots of data. However the subject itself seems tangential to the Christian story. I find the typesetting of the first page of each chapter irritating to read.
