Customer Reviews

Beyond the Basilica: Christians and Muslims in Nazareth (University of Chicago Geography Research Papers)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beyond the Basilica; Christians and Muslims in Nazareth is an interesting and very unique book. It is a history of Nazareth and its inhabitants, primary Christians and Muslims. This book examines the relationship between these to communities, from the rise of Islam to modern times. I know that might sound like a total bore, with lots of statistics, population studies, elections, religious conflict, and history of less-than-interesting periods. Yes, it does include these things, but Chad manages to keep it interesting, with lots of interviews and personal stories from current residents. What I was most interested in was the earlier history, and this book has lots of good information (up until its publication in1995) on the historical churches and archeological sites in Nazareth. One thing that disturbed me the most was the intra-Christian fighting that continues, often over minor issues, while the unified Muslims are becoming a majority and a threat to traditions and holy sites held by Christians for centuries. In what were once integrated communities with shared cultures, tensions between the two religious groups are growing. Ironically, it is the Jewish Israelis that often have to defuse the tensions when they get out of hand.