Eastern Roman

Combining research from Asian scholars with his many years of experience living and working in East Asia, Brad directs our attention to Paul's letter to the Romans. He argues that some traditional East Asian cultural values are closer to those of the first-century biblical world than common Western cultural values. In addition, he adds his voice to the scholarship engaging the values of honor and shame in particular and their influence on biblical interpretation.

The Byzantine Empire was founded during the chaotic third century. It was the time when revolts and civil wars were common, and Roman emperors merely lasted for a year. Despite being one of the most captivating historical periods of all time, the Byzantine Empire is a lesser known one.

How does the Byzantine Empire, which fell in 1453, still apply to us today? Many of us do not know much about the Byzantine Empire; it lived on in the East after the Roman Empire fell, but its one-thousand-year history is full of innovations that have changed how we create art, write laws, and think about our lives today. The Byzantine Empire was a key factor that started the Italian Renaissance and moved Western Europe out of the Middle Ages. Far from being ancient history, the Byzantine Empire still impacts our lives today.

¿De qué manera el Imperio bizantino, que cayó en 1453, sigue siendo relevante para nosotros hoy en día? Muchos de nosotros no sabemos mucho sobre el Imperio bizantino; subsistió en Oriente tras la caída del Imperio romano, pero su historia de mil años está llena de innovaciones que han cambiado nuestra forma de crear arte, redactar leyes y pensar sobre nuestras vidas actuales. El Imperio bizantino fue un factor clave que dio inicio al Renacimiento Italiano y sacó a Europa Occidental de la Edad Media. Lejos de ser historia antigua, el Imperio bizantino sigue influyendo en nuestras vidas.

In the third century CE, as Roman leaders vied with each other for power and constantly fought civil wars, Rome’s famous roads fell into disrepair, the economy was crippled, the continent-wide trade system that had flourished in the previous years was replaced with a basic barter system, and there was a reduction in international trade. People became ever more fearful for their personal safety, and the imperial crisis saw an increasing trend toward sacrificing personal liberties and rights in return for guarantees of safety from wealthy landowners.

Das Byzantinische Reich wurde während des chaotischen dritten Jahrhunderts gegründet. Es war die Zeit, in der Aufstände und Bürgerkriege an der Tagesordnung waren und die römischen Kaiser nur ein Jahr im Amt blieben. Obwohl es eine der fesselndsten historischen Epochen aller Zeiten ist, ist das Byzantinische Reich weniger bekannt, und es ist selten, dass man ein fesselndes Buch zu diesem Thema findet. Aber das wird sich jetzt ändern.

Hold onto your magic hats for another spellbinding adventure! All aboard for Rome! Maxat sets sail for the city of history, song, gods and goddesses, art...and delicious ice cream. There are a thousand sights to see...but the one sight Maxat could do without seeing is the figure staring back at him from a very old mirror. After a fierce and shocking fight, it becomes clear that a perilous piece of history is repeating itself here and now, threatening to tear apart a lifelong friendship. Usually the rescuer, Maxat now needs to be rescued.