The Book of Monasteries
By Al-Shābushtī’
Edited and translated by Hilary Kilpatrick
New York University Press
ISBN: 9781479825769
While this tenth-century text is about monasteries it’s not about religion. Instead, it is very much an account of the social and literary world of Christian monasteries in the medieval Middle East and the poetry of this time.
Excerpt:
Twenty-first-century readers of al-Shābushtī’s late-tenth-century Book of Monasteries are likely to be taken aback on several counts. The monasteries in it belong to Christian communities unfamiliar to most people outside the Middle East. The characteristics generally associated with monasteries and their inhabitants—withdrawal from the world, prayer, and asceticism—are seldom mentioned, and no striking monastic figure emerges from the book. By contrast, al-Shābushtī’s monasteries inspire poets because of the beauty of their settings and the opportunities they provide for enjoying wine and having fun, innocent and not so innocent. Poetry thus forms a major part of the book. Moreover, some important political personalities and events are indirectly linked with monasteries, and they too appear in this book, as do scenes of festive court life and gruesome murders.
Who is this book for?
Indeed, this book is surprising! Part of the Library of Arabic Literature series, it will appeal mostly to those interested in medieval Arabic poetry. It will also be an intriguing read for those interested in Muslim-Christian relations within the Abbasid empire and for medieval monasticism.
The editor
Hilary Kilpatrick is an independent scholar based in Switzerland. She previously taught at universities in the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland and her expertise is in Arabic literature. Click here to see her Academia.edu page.
See also the first and second parts of this interview with Hilary about The Book of Monasteries
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
The Book of Monasteries
By Al-Shābushtī’
Edited and translated by Hilary Kilpatrick
New York University Press
ISBN: 9781479825769
While this tenth-century text is about monasteries it’s not about religion. Instead, it is very much an account of the social and literary world of Christian monasteries in the medieval Middle East and the poetry of this time.
Excerpt:
Twenty-first-century readers of al-Shābushtī’s late-tenth-century Book of Monasteries are likely to be taken aback on several counts. The monasteries in it belong to Christian communities unfamiliar to most people outside the Middle East. The characteristics generally associated with monasteries and their inhabitants—withdrawal from the world, prayer, and asceticism—are seldom mentioned, and no striking monastic figure emerges from the book. By contrast, al-Shābushtī’s monasteries inspire poets because of the beauty of their settings and the opportunities they provide for enjoying wine and having fun, innocent and not so innocent. Poetry thus forms a major part of the book. Moreover, some important political personalities and events are indirectly linked with monasteries, and they too appear in this book, as do scenes of festive court life and gruesome murders.
Who is this book for?
Indeed, this book is surprising! Part of the Library of Arabic Literature series, it will appeal mostly to those interested in medieval Arabic poetry. It will also be an intriguing read for those interested in Muslim-Christian relations within the Abbasid empire and for medieval monasticism.
The editor
Hilary Kilpatrick is an independent scholar based in Switzerland. She previously taught at universities in the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland and her expertise is in Arabic literature. Click here to see her Academia.edu page.
See also the first and second parts of this interview with Hilary about The Book of Monasteries
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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