by Victoria Clark
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| List Price: | $28.50 |
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Product Description
'Holy Fire invades the church, a fast-breeding light transfiguring faces, transforming the dark stone space. I hear gasps and cheers and sobs and tears. The emotion is overwhelming, the heat suffocating ...' Every Easter the 'miracle' of the Holy Fire is enacted in front of hundreds of the faithful in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. For centuries, Orthodox Christian pilgrims have made the arduous journey to witness it: the proof they need that God favours them far above all other Christians, as well as Jews and Moslems. "Holy Fire" presents the unending battle waged by various denominations of Christian churchmen for their saviour's empty tomb as the microcosm of centuries of wider Christian power struggles. Victoria Clark deftly weaves history, reportage and religion into a fluid and fascinating account that includes the aggressive campaigns of medieval Crusaders, the empire-building of the nineteenth-century European powers, Britain's decision to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1917, and today's zealous, though unlikely, champions of Israel's cause, the Christian Zionists. She explores the contribution that the Christian world has made to the unfolding tragedy of the Holy Land - at a time when it has never been more urgent for the West to see itself as others see it.
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Average Customer Review:
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Holy knuckleheads, 2007-03-20
I picked up this book on a lark while trolling through the local library for something new to read. It was a great choice. This book covers the history of inter-Christian rivalries and politics over the control of the area in Jerusalem where Christ is supposed to have died and been buried. The book is part travelogue and part history. The author starts with the death of Christ and chronologically progresses forward through time to show how Egyptian Copts, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Byzantines, Ethiopian Christians, Papal Latins, Protestants and now Evangalical Christians have fought for control of this place, and how their conflicts have sometimes led history, and sometimes occurred under the shadow of other conflicts, like the present formation of Israel. Interspersed with the history lessons are direct observations by the author of modern-day life, and how the different Christian sects are still at it. The title of the book refers to an annual ceremony whereby a fire is lit and used to light candles for pilgrims to bring back to their homes.
The book is easy reading, very interesting, and filled with history. The author shows quite a grasp for international politics and history, and how they are intertwined with the affairs of this part of the world. The last chapter on Christian Zionists was quite illuminating. Overall, a great read.
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