Christians in Asia before 1500The history of Christianity in Asia is little dealt with either by Church historians or by historians of religion. It is generally unknown, even amongst theologians, that there was a long history of Christianity in Persia, India, Central Asia and China before the appearance on the scene of the first missionaries from the West. A systematic history of the Christian Church in Asia before 1500 is needed. Drawing on material hitherto unknown in the English speaking world, this is a timely and important book because there is a heightened interest today in the early forms of Asian Christianity. The Church in Asia today seeks to find forms of religious expression that are in harmony with Asian culture as was the case in the earlier period. The book covers the period up to 1500 CE. The geographical areas dealt with are Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, Central and South East Asia, China and Japan. The book takes into account the outward development of the Church in these areas as well as the inner, theological issues. |
Contents
1 | |
7 | |
3 A Necessary Excursus into Theology | 13 |
4 Christians in Syria and Palestine | 21 |
5 Christians in Arabia | 77 |
6 Christians in Armenia and Georgia | 91 |
7 Christians in Persia Iran | 109 |
8 Christians in India | 155 |
10 Christians in China | 265 |
11 Christians in SouthEast Asia | 307 |
12 Conclusion | 315 |
Notes | 319 |
Appendices | 355 |
363 | |
381 | |
9 Christians in Central Asia | 205 |
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Common terms and phrases
14th century Antioch Aphrahat Apostles Arabia Arabs Armenian Asian Baghdad became bishops Buddha Buddhist Byzantine Caliph Catholicos Central Asia centre Chalcedon Chalcedonian China Chinese Christ Christian community claim consecrated Constantinople converted cross crusaders divine dynasty East Eastern ecclesiastical Edessa Emperor Ephrem faith Franciscan Georgia Gnostic Gospel Greek Hage History Holy influence inscription Islam Jacobite Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Jews John John of Montecorvino Keraits Khan Baliq Khubilai king Klimkeit later Latin letter London Malabar Manichaean Manichaeism Merv Mesopotamia metropolitan Mingana missionary monasteries monastic Mongol monks Monophysite Moule Muhammad Mundadan Muslim Nestorian Christianity Nestorian Church Nisibis Patriarch persecution Persia Pope Portuguese priests probably Rabban Sauma realm references religion religious Roman Empire Rome rulers Saeki Sasanian Sauma Sogdian South India Spirit synod Syrian T'ang Testament texts Theodore of Mopsuestia theology Thomas Christians Timothy tradition translated tribes Tunhuang Turfan Turkish Turks Uighur Vööbus West Western Zoroastrian