The Orthodox Church of Ethiopia : a history
John Binns (Author)
Surrounded by steep escarpments to the north, south, and east, Ethiopia has always been geographically and culturally set apart. It has the longest archaeological record of any country in the world. Indeed, this precipitous mountain land was where the human race began. It is also home to an ancient church with a remarkable legacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawehedo Church is the only pre-colonial church in sub-Saharan Africa, originating in one of the earliest Christian kingdoms - with its king Ezana converting around 340 CE. Since then it has maintained its long Christian witness in a region dominated by Islam; today it has a membership of around forty million and is rapidly growing. John Binns discusses the famous rock-hewn churches; the Ark of the Covenant (claimed by the Church and housed in Aksum); the medieval monastic tradition; relations with the Coptic Church; co-existence with Islam; missionary activity; and the Church's venerable oral traditions, especially the discipline of qené - a kind of theological reflection couched in a unique style of improvised allegorical poetry. Dr. Binns shows how these special features have shaped the life of the Christian people of Ethiopia and how its identity and mission have changed over the years
Print Book, English, 2018
I.B. Tauris, London, 2018