Religion

The archbishop of Rheims crowning a queen, from The Coronation Book of Charles V, King of France, c.1365-80.

Medieval Queen by Grace of God

Queenship was transformed in the early Middle Ages, as power came to be derived not just from marriage, but from God.

‘Geology and Palaeontology’, from Cassell’s Natural History, 1896. Mary Evans Picture Library.

The Victorians, Creation, and the Dinosaur Problem

The Earth was created in seven days. On which day were the dinosaurs made? Discoveries in geology and palaeontology forced Victorian creationists to be especially creative.

A sarcophagus with a menorah from the Roman catacombs, AD 251-350. A sarcophagus with a menorah from the Roman catacombs, AD 251-350. A sarcophagus with a menorah from the Roman catacombs, AD 251-350. Bridgeman.

How the Roman Empire Lost its Gods

The Roman Empire had two main populations: gods and humans. By its end, there was only one god left. How, and why, did he reign supreme?

Portrait of Zaga Christ, by Giovanna Garzoni, 1635. Philip Mould Ltd, London/Bridgeman Images.

Death of Zaga Christ

Zaga Christ died on 22 April 1638 leaving Europe no wiser as to the authenticity of the self-proclaimed Ethiopian prince who might bring his homeland to Catholicism.

St Rose of Lima, anonymous painting from the Cusco School, c.1690. Lima Art Museum. Public Domain.

Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters

As Christianity spread, it carried Catherine of Siena’s legacy to the Americas. Her asceticism inspired Rose of Lima, Kateri Tekakwitha, and others.

‘The Church Militant’, by John Collet, 1779. Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. Public Domain.

‘The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism’ by Martyn Percy review

The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England by Martyn Percy takes the British Empire’s church militant to task. Is there a case to answer?

Seated Amitabha Buddha, Ming dynasty China, c.1600. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Public Domain.

‘Buddhism’ by Donald S. Lopez Jr. review

Buddhism: A Journey Through History by Donald S. Lopez Jr. swiftly soon loses sight of the Buddha himself. Is that a bad thing, and was he ever there?

The young Brahmin is committed to the care of a Shastri Brahmin. From The Lives of the Brahmin, an album of 38 watercolour drawings of ceremonies undertaken during the life of a Brahmin, India, c.1820. British Library/Bridgeman Images.

Brahmins: The Origins of India’s Priestly Caste

In the first millennium BC the Brahmin class organised as a community and assumed responsibility for learning the sacred Vedas. What are the origins of India’s priestly caste?

Portrait of Ulrich Zwingli, by Christoph Murer, 1587. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

The Affair of the Sausages

On 9 March 1522 the Swiss Reformation began with an ‘ostentatious eating of sausages.’

Nabateans illustration © Ben Jones/Heart Agency.

The Nabataeans are Coming

Pre-Islamic history was once taboo in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Will the ‘rediscovery’ of an ancient people – the Nabataeans – encourage international tourism?