Beyond the Bronze Pillars


Book Description

Beyond the Bronze Pillars is an innovative and iconoclastic look at the politico-cultural relationship between Vietnam and China in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Overturning the established view that historically the Vietnamese sought to maintain a separate cultural identity and engaged in tributary relations with the Middle Kingdom solely to avoid invasion, Liam Kelley shows how Vietnamese literati sought to unify their cultural practices with those in China while fully recognizing their country’s political subservience. He does so by examining a body of writings known as Vietnamese "envoy poetry." Far from advocating their own cultural distinctiveness, Vietnamese envoy poets expressed a profound identification with what we would now call the Sinitic world and their political status as vassals in it. In mining a body of rich primary sources that no Western historian has previously employed, Kelley provides startling insights into the pre-modern Vietnamese view of their world and its politico-cultural relationship with China.




Beyond the Bronze Pillars


Book Description

Beyond the Bronze Pillars is an innovative and iconoclastic look at the politico-cultural relationship between Vietnam and China in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Overturning the established view that historically the Vietnamese sought to maintain a separate cultural identity and engaged in tributary relations with the Middle Kingdom solely to avoid invasion, Liam Kelley shows how Vietnamese literati sought to unify their cultural practices with those in China while fully recognizing their country’s political subservience. He does so by examining a body of writings known as Vietnamese "envoy poetry." Far from advocating their own cultural distinctiveness, Vietnamese envoy poets expressed a profound identification with what we would now call the Sinitic world and their political status as vassals in it. In mining a body of rich primary sources that no Western historian has previously employed, Kelley provides startling insights into the pre-modern Vietnamese view of their world and its politico-cultural relationship with China.




East Asia Before the West


Book Description

From the founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 to the start of the Opium Wars in 1841, China has engaged in only two large-scale conflicts with its principal neighbors, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. These four territorial and centralized states have otherwise fostered peaceful and long-lasting relationships with one another, and as they have grown more powerful, the atmosphere around them has stabilized. Focusing on the role of the "tribute system" in maintaining stability in East Asia and fostering diplomatic and commercial exchange, Kang contrasts this history against the example of Europe and the East Asian states' skirmishes with nomadic peoples to the north and west. Scholars tend to view Europe's experience as universal, but Kang upends this tradition, emphasizing East Asia's formal hierarchy as an international system with its own history and character. His approach not only recasts common understandings of East Asian relations but also defines a model that applies to other hegemonies outside of the European order.




Chinese History in Geographical Perspective


Book Description

This volume treats "China" first and foremost as an evolving and imagined geographical entity. The contributors explore China's last five hundred years of history using geography as a lens through which to approach such issues as sports, ethnography, cartography, religion, elite and popular culture, transnational networking, urban planning, and politics.




State Formation through Emulation


Book Description

Argues that states formed in East Asia a thousand years earlier than in Europe, emulating China rather than competing with it.




Fieldwork and the Self


Book Description

This book presents new perspectives on Southeast Asia using cases from a range of ethnic groups, cultures and histories, written by scholars from different ethnicities, generations, disciplines and scientific traditions. It examines various research trajectories, engaging with epistemological debates on the ‘global’ and ‘local’, on ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and the role played by personal experiences in the collection and analysis of empirical data. The volume provides subjects for debate rarely addressed in formal approaches to data gathering and analysis. Rather than grappling with the usual methodological building blocks of research training, it focuses on neglected issues in the research experience including chance, error, coincidence, mishap, dead ends, silence, secrets, improvisation, remembering, digital challenges and shifting tracks. Fieldwork and the Self is relevant to academics and researchers from universities and international organisations who are engaged in teaching and learning in area studies and social science research methods. “A rich and compelling set of writings about fieldwork in, and beyond, Southeast Asia”. — Lyn Parker, Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia “A must-read for all, especially emerging scholars on Southeast Asia, and a refreshing read for critical ‘old hands’ on the region”. — Abdul Rahman Embong, Emeritus Professor, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “An impressive collection of essays by two academics who have devoted their academic life to anthropological fieldwork in Southeast Asia”. — Shamsul A.B., Distinguished Professor and UNESCO Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “The contributors share an unquenchable and passionate curiosity for Southeast Asia. They have survived the uncertainties and disillusionment of their fieldwork and remained first-grade scholars”. — Marie-Sybille de Vienne, Professor, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations, Paris “A penetrating reflection on current social science research on Southeast Asia”. — Hans-Dieter Evers, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, University of Bonn




The Oxford Handbook of Confucianism


Book Description

"A vast and complex tradition foundational to East Asian civilizations, Confucianism continues to be a cultural force of global significance. The Oxford Handbook of Confucianism is a collection of 38 essays that explore the variety, complexity, and richness of Confucianism over time and across regions. These essays are written to be of value to the educated public while presenting new scholarship and fresh perspectives from leading scholars in Confucian studies. Using a range of critical approaches, the volume is divided into four parts. Confucianism presents unique problems to study and interpretation, and the introductory section offers three essays exploring the history and criticism of East Asian and Western constructions of the tradition. The bulk of the volume's essays are divided into three parts. The first part considers Confucianism's development within the Chinese context, centering on historical moments, key figures, and formative texts. The second part analyzes the development, impact, and reach of Confucianism in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and "Boston" Confucianism. The final part offers topical studies of the impact of Confucianism in culture, politics and government, social structures, and ideology, exploring topics as wide-ranging as family, social structure, gender, visual and literary arts, government, ethics, religion, and ritual. Expansive in scope and sophisticated in approach, the Oxford Handbook of Confucianism presents a superb resource for study of this ancient, and still vibrant tradition"--




NIrV, The Super Heroes Bible, eBook


Book Description

You’re a Super Hero! Imagine what it would be like to be the strongest person in the world. Or the smartest. Or the most powerful. You’ll meet these kinds of super heroes in The Super Heroes Bible. The best part of all is, they’re not make-believe. These super heroes really lived. And as you read about their amazing adventures, and some truly nasty villains they faced, you’ll learn how you can become like them. The Super Heroes Bible takes you back through time into an incredible world of giants and giant-slayers, kings and commanders, miracles and mysteries. Team up with the Bible’s mightiest heroes as they head toward glorious victories—and sometimes crushing defeats. Using the special Super Hero Decoder, you can crack the codes of honor that drove Moses, Elijah, and other heroes, and then use those codes in your own life. More than 200 character sketches tell you the stories of Bible men, women, and kids from Genesis to Revelation—including a few of the bad ones! Learn what to do, and what not to do, in order to be a faith hero. You and your friends will have fun playing the all-new Super Heroes Bible Quiz, packed with fun questions that will help you remember important info about your favorite heroes. You’ll find a whole lot more features in this Bible all designed to help you power up. Because the coolest thing of all is, YOU can become a hero of the faith. Start reading and find out how. Comic books. Movies. Video games. You think super heroes are only found there? Think again. The NIrV Super Heroes Bible is packed with ordinary people that were zapped by God into super hero status. The complete text of the New International Reader's Version® (NIrV) is written at a third grade reading level and packed with features that will motivate kids to be one of God’s Super Heroes. Features include: Character Profiles: more than 200 character sketches show kids how to be a hero of faith. Cool Codes: use the Super Hero Decoder to crack the codes of honor of Moses, David, and other Bible super heroes. Check out the decoder key on the back cover of this Bible. 40 Full-Color Pages: action-packed illustrations by Dennis Jones. Game: Super Heroes Bible Quiz challenges kids on how well they know their favorite Bible super heroes. 450 Powersurge Notes: highlight Bible verses that show character traits like Brave, Truthful, and Wise. 66 Book Introductions: summarize the super hero impact of each book of the Bible. Indexes: topical and subject indexes help kids find all the special features and themes in this Bible. Dictionary: explains the meanings of hard words in the Bible. Maps: help kids locate the places super heroes lived and carried out their heroic deeds.




Caesarea


Book Description

The epic story of three young people in first century Israel who find the Holy Ark of the Covenant, and hide it during the Roman Invasion of AD70. The story is at once a romance novel, a spy thriller, and an easy to read history and sociology of their times. Characters include six Roman emperors, particularly Claudius and Nero, as well as the generals who support them, and their women. Included are fascinating insights into the minds of Nero and the Jewish leaders of their time. You’ll live through the Fire of Rome, the destruction of the Temple, the siege at Masada, and the Vesuvius eruption. Central to the theme of the book is the Aqueduct at Caesarea on the Mediterranean Coast and particularly its eighteenth arch.




NIrV, Seek and Explore Holy Bible


Book Description

The NIrV Seek and Explore Holy Bible is about engaging the child’s whole being—heart, soul, and mind. This Bible helps children understand God’s Word by utilizing the nine common ways that children learn: Logical reasoning; Visualizing; Discussing and debating; Learning with others and using interpersonal skills; Reflection or intrapersonal skills; Emotional engagement; Experimenting and doing; Kinesthetics; and Nature. Children are joined on their journey through the Bible by nine different animal friends who are each designed to help kids use one of the nine different ways of learning. Endearing art of an antelope, monkey, African elephant, meerkat, hippo, tiger, jaguar, panda bear, and zebra guide children from “Base Camp” to the different sites throughout the Bible that lead them through the story of God’s people. Features of the NIrV Seek and Explore Holy Bible include: Full color throughout Single-column text 4 child-friendly Bible maps 8.75 point font Presentation page Full text of the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) of the Bible, written at a third grade reading level for developing readers Vibrant and engaging cover




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