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Heathrow Airport: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
by Alan Gallop&“A very nicely presented history of one of the greatest airports in the world, its challenges and its prospects . . . Highly Recommended.&” —Firetrench Love it or loathe it, Heathrow is the United Kingdom&’s largest and most important airport by a distance. It currently serves over 190 routes to more than 80 countries. Over £100 billion of imports and exports are handled every year, making it the UK&’s primary port by value. This fascinating book traces the often controversial development of the airport over the last 70 years from the most humble of beginnings. Thanks to the author&’s in-depth knowledge the arguments for and against the building of a third runway are thoroughly and objectively described. There have been, and indeed still are, those who advocate building a brand-new hub airport for London, but it is a fact that Heathrow has long been the cornerstone of the local economy, providing jobs for over 70,000 staff. This entertaining, controversial and superbly illustrated book is about much more than the bitter third runway battle. It contains many amusing anecdotes and a wealth of statistics that serve to make Heathrow such a key part of the country&’s infrastructure. &“The history of Heathrow Airport from the iron age to the present day . . . includes interviews with people who worked at Heathrow on its first day.&” —Forwarder Magazine &“A really interesting book. It is mostly text, but there are a good selection of historic photographs which haven&’t been seen anywhere else, including many of the aircraft once seen at Heathrow.&” —Airport Spotting
Heaven: A History (Second Edition)
by Colleen McDannell Bernhard LangWhat do Christians believe they will experience after a virtuous life? What will an eternity in the hereafter be like? In this copiously illustrated, lively book, Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang describe and interpret the ways in which believers--from biblical authors to medieval mystics, from Jesus to present-day religious thinkers--have pictured Heaven, not just in doctrine but also in poetry, art, literature, and popular culture. In so doing, they shed new light on both the private and public dimensions of western culture. This second edition includes a substantial new preface relating the book to changing views of life after death in the new century.
Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife
by Lisa Miller“Wonderful…. A smart and accessible take on the ultimate question: What is Heaven? Lisa’s book is a good place to begin to find an answer.” — Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion“A rare combination of journalism, memoir, and historical research … this smart yet heartfelt book leads us into the center of one of the greatest conversations of all time. And Lisa Miller is the perfect conversation partner.” — Stephen Prothero, New York Times bestselling author of American Jesus and Religious LiteracyA groundbreaking history of the hereafter, Heaven by Newsweek reporter and religion editor Lisa Miller draws from both history and popular culture to reveal how past and presage visions of heaven have evolved and how they inspire us to both good and evil.
Heaven
by Bobbi SmithNew York Times bestselling author Bobbi Smith creates unforgettably compelling heroes and women bold enough to claim them. In this sweeping, sensual novel, a man of privilege risks everything for an adventuress--and a passion that promises to be nothing short of heaven. . . For archeologist's daughter Alexandra Parker, the Crown of Desire isn't just a priceless and mysterious artifact--it could mean the difference between life and death. And to find it, she must embark on a dangerous journey in the company of a man she hardly trusts. Wealthy Englishman Winn Bradford is seductive, charismatic, and the last person she should fall in love with. But Alex, too, has a secret--one that puts Winn's safety at risk, and will force her to choose between loyalty and an extraordinary love. . . "Spectacular storytelling, romance and adventure. . . Bobbi Smith at her very best!" –Romantic Times
Heaven
by Bobbi SmithNew York Times bestselling author Bobbi Smith creates unforgettably compelling heroes and women bold enough to claim them. In this sweeping, sensual novel, a man of privilege risks everything for an adventuressand a passion that promises to be nothing short of heaven. . .For archeologist's daughter Alexandra Parker, the Crown of Desire isn't just a priceless and mysterious artifactit could mean the difference between life and death. And to find it, she must embark on a dangerous journey in the company of a man she hardly trusts. Wealthy Englishman Winn Bradford is seductive, charismatic, and the last person she should fall in love with. But Alex, too, has a secretone that puts Winn's safety at risk, and will force her to choose between loyalty and an extraordinary love. . ."Spectacular storytelling, romance and adventure. . .Bobbi Smith at her very best!" -Romantic Times
Heaven and Earth in Anglo-Saxon England: Theology and Society in an Age of Faith (Studies in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland)
by Helen Foxhall ForbesChristian theology and religious belief were crucially important to Anglo-Saxon society, and are manifest in the surviving textual, visual and material evidence. This is the first full-length study investigating how Christian theology and religious beliefs permeated society and underpinned social values in early medieval England. The influence of the early medieval Church as an institution is widely acknowledged, but Christian theology itself is generally considered to have been accessible only to a small educated elite. This book shows that theology had a much greater and more significant impact than has been recognised. An examination of theology in its social context, and how it was bound up with local authorities and powers, reveals a much more subtle interpretation of secular processes, and shows how theological debate affected the ways that religious and lay individuals lived and died. This was not a one-way flow, however: this book also examines how social and cultural practices and interests affected the development of theology in Anglo-Saxon England, and how ’popular’ belief interacted with literary and academic traditions. Through case-studies, this book explores how theological debate and discussion affected the personal perspectives of Christian Anglo-Saxons, including where possible those who could not read. In all of these, it is clear that theology was not detached from society or from the experiences of lay people, but formed an essential constituent part.
Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
by Bart EhrmanA New York Times bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from, and why do they endure? <P><P>What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a literal heaven, 58% in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. But eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught. So where did the ideas come from? <P><P>In clear and compelling terms, Bart Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for the damned. Some of these accounts take the form of near death experiences, the oldest on record, with intriguing similarities to those reported today. <P><P> One of Ehrman’s startling conclusions is that there never was a single Greek, Jewish, or Christian understanding of the afterlife, but numerous competing views. Moreover, these views did not come from nowhere; they were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. Only later, in the early Christian centuries, did they develop into the notions of eternal bliss or damnation widely accepted today. <P><P> As a historian, Ehrman obviously cannot provide a definitive answer to the question of what happens after death. In Heaven and Hell, he does the next best thing: by helping us reflect on where our ideas of the afterlife come from, he assures us that even if there may be something to hope for when we die, there is certainly nothing to fear.
Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
by Bart D. EhrmanWhether we believe in them or not, we are all familiar with the concepts of heaven and hell. There was a time, however, when no one thought they would go to either of these places after they died. In fact, Jesus didn&’t believe a dead person&’s soul was bound for heaven or hell, and these ideas are nowhere to be found in the Old Testament. So, where did they come from? From the Epic of Gilgamesh to the writings of Augustine, Bart Ehrman provides a fascinating and thought-provoking history of the afterlife. He traces how beliefs changed over time and reveals the social, cultural and historical roots of competing views held by Greeks, Jews and Christians. Ultimately, he shows that many of our ideas about heaven and hell emerged long after Jesus&’s time, through the struggle to explain the injustices of our world.
Heaven and Hell: North And South, Love And War, And Heaven And Hell (The North and South Trilogy #3)
by John JakesThe searing conclusion to the North and South Trilogy brings the battle between the Mains and Hazards—and Confederate and Union armies—to a brilliantly satisfying end The last days of the Civil War bring no peace for the Main and Hazard families. As the Mains&’ South smolders in the ruins of defeat, the Hazards&’ North pushes blindly for relentless industrial progress. Both the nation and the families&’ long-standing bond hover on the brink of destruction. In the series&’ epic conclusion, Jakes expertly blends personal conflict with historical events, crafting a haunting page-turner about America&’s constant change and unyielding hope. This ebook features an illustrated biography of John Jakes including rare images from the author&’s personal collection.
Heaven and Hell
by Jón Kalman StefánssonIn a remote part of Iceland, a boy and his friend Barður join a boat to fish for cod. A winter storm surprises them out at sea and Barður, who has forgotten his waterproof as he was too absorbed in 'Paradise Lost', succumbs to the ferocious cold and dies. Appalled by the death and by the fishermen's callous ability to set about gutting the fatal catch, the boy leaves the village, intending to return the book to its owner. The extreme hardship and danger of the journey is of little consequence to him - he has already resolved to join his friend in death. But once in the town he immerses himself in the stories and lives of its inhabitants, and decides that he cannot be with his friend just yet. Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Heaven and Hell is a perfectly formed, vivid and timeless story, lyrical in style, and as intense a reading experience as the forces of the Icelandic landscape themselves. An outstandingly moving novel.
Heaven and Hell
by Jón Kalman StefánssonIn a remote part of Iceland, a boy and his friend Barður join a boat to fish for cod. A winter storm surprises them out at sea and Barður, who has forgotten his waterproof as he was too absorbed in 'Paradise Lost', succumbs to the ferocious cold and dies. Appalled by the death and by the fishermen's callous ability to set about gutting the fatal catch, the boy leaves the village, intending to return the book to its owner. The extreme hardship and danger of the journey is of little consequence to him - he has already resolved to join his friend in death. But once in the town he immerses himself in the stories and lives of its inhabitants, and decides that he cannot be with his friend just yet. Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Heaven and Hell is a perfectly formed, vivid and timeless story, lyrical in style, and as intense a reading experience as the forces of the Icelandic landscape themselves. An outstandingly moving novel.
Heaven and Hell
by Phil Roughton Jon Kalman StefanssonJón Kalman Stefánsson is the winner of the Icelandic Prize for Literature and has been nominated three times for the Nordic Council Prize for Literature. Heaven and Hell, is a perfectly formed, vivid and timeless story, lyrical in style, and as intense a reading experience as the forces of the Icelandic landscape themselves. Der Spiegel said it was "like an oyster--a glinting treasure in a rough shell." In a remote part of Iceland, a boy and his friend Barður join a boat to fish for cod. A winter storm surprises them out at sea and Barður, absorbed in "Paradise Lost", succumbs to the ferocious cold and dies. Distraught from the murky circumstances of Barður's death, the boy leaves the village, intending to return the book to its original owner. The extreme hardship and danger of the journey is of little consequence to him--he has already resolved to join his friend in death. But once in the town he immerses himself in the stories and lives of its inhabitants, and decides that he cannot be with his friend just yet.
Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals And American Culture
by Grant WackerIn this lively history of the rise of pentecostalism in the United States, Grant Wacker gives an in-depth account of the religious practices of pentecostal churches as well as an engaging picture of the way these beliefs played out in daily life. The core tenets of pentecostal beliefs personal salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, divine healing, and anticipation of the Lord's imminent return took root in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Wacker examines the various aspects of pentecostal culture, including rituals, speaking in tongues, the authority of the Bible, the central role of Jesus in everyday life, the gifts of prophecy and healing, ideas about personal appearance, women's roles, race relations, attitudes toward politics and the government. Tracking the daily lives of pentecostals, and paying close attention to the voices of individual men and women, Wacker is able to identify the reason for the movement's spectacular success: a demonstrated ability to balance idealistic and pragmatic impulses, to adapt distinct religious convictions in order to meet the expectations of modern life. More than twenty million American adults today consider themselves pentecostal. Given the movement's major place in American religious life, the history of its early years so artfully told here is of central importance.
Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Death of Mao's China
by James PalmerWhen an earthquake of historic magnitude leveled the industrial city of Tangshan in the summer of 1976, killing more than a half-million people, China was already gripped by widespread social unrest. As Mao lay on his deathbed, the public mourned the death of popular premier Zhou Enlai. Anger toward the powerful Communist Party officials in the Gang of Four, which had tried to suppress grieving for Zhou, was already potent; when the government failed to respond swiftly to the Tangshan disaster, popular resistance to the Cultural Revolution reached a boiling point. In Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes, acclaimed historian James Palmer tells the startling story of the most tumultuous year in modern Chinese history, when Mao perished, a city crumbled, and a new China was born.
Heaven-defying Doctor Girl: Volume 1 (Volume 1 #1)
by San QianChaThe Xiao family had two women in their line of descent. The one who was born to be a piece of trash was the eldest daughter, Xiao Boyang. The people laughed at her, humiliated her, and looked down on her; her white clothes fluttered in the wind, and her celestial figure was beautiful and elegant. The people of the world praised her, praised her, and worshipped her as a goddess. In regards to this, Xiao Boxiang had a vile smile on his face. "White Lotus, we'll see!" After traveling across the world, she became a well-known, rich young miss of the Xiao family. She was born useless, so she had a fire burning in her body, and then she reconstructed her meridians. Allure was her. She was from the Ascendant continent. She was the one who crushed the white lotus, the Mysterious Beast, and the man dressed like a demon. Whose young heart did she steal?
Heaven-defying Doctor Girl: Volume 2 (Volume 2 #2)
by San QianChaThe Xiao family had two women in their line of descent. The one who was born to be a piece of trash was the eldest daughter, Xiao Boyang. The people laughed at her, humiliated her, and looked down on her; her white clothes fluttered in the wind, and her celestial figure was beautiful and elegant. The people of the world praised her, praised her, and worshipped her as a goddess. In regards to this, Xiao Boxiang had a vile smile on his face. "White Lotus, we'll see!" After traveling across the world, she became a well-known, rich young miss of the Xiao family. She was born useless, so she had a fire burning in her body, and then she reconstructed her meridians. Allure was her. She was from the Ascendant continent. She was the one who crushed the white lotus, the Mysterious Beast, and the man dressed like a demon. Whose young heart did she steal?
Heaven-defying Doctor Girl: Volume 3 (Volume 3 #3)
by San QianChaThe Xiao family had two women in their line of descent. The one who was born to be a piece of trash was the eldest daughter, Xiao Boyang. The people laughed at her, humiliated her, and looked down on her; her white clothes fluttered in the wind, and her celestial figure was beautiful and elegant. The people of the world praised her, praised her, and worshipped her as a goddess. In regards to this, Xiao Boxiang had a vile smile on his face. "White Lotus, we'll see!" After traveling across the world, she became a well-known, rich young miss of the Xiao family. She was born useless, so she had a fire burning in her body, and then she reconstructed her meridians. Allure was her. She was from the Ascendant continent. She was the one who crushed the white lotus, the Mysterious Beast, and the man dressed like a demon. Whose young heart did she steal?
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel
by James McBrideTHE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOKFROM ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2024NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR/FRESH AIR, WASHINGTON POST, THE NEW YORKER, AND TIME MAGAZINEONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023&“A murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel . . . Charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart-healing.&” —Danez Smith, The New York Times Book Review&“We all need—we all deserve—this vibrant, love-affirming novel that bounds over any difference that claims to separate us.&” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah&’s Book Club pick Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep themIn 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe&’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe. As these characters&’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town&’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community—heaven and earth—that sustain us. Bringing his masterly storytelling skills and his deep faith in humanity to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride has written a novel as compassionate as Deacon King Kong and as inventive as The Good Lord Bird.
Heaven Has No Favorites
by Richard Winston Clara Winston Erich Maria RemarqueFrom one of the twentieth century's master novelists, the author of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front, comes Heaven Has No Favorites, a bittersweet story of unconventional love that sweeps across Europe. Lillian is charming, beautiful . . . and slowly dying of consumption. But she doesn't wish to end her days in a hospital in the Alps. She wants to see Paris again, then Venice--to live frivolously for as long as possible. She might die on the road, she might not, but before she goes, she wants a chance at life. Clerfayt, a race-car driver, tempts fate every time he's behind the wheel. A man with no illusions about chance, he is powerfully drawn to a woman who can look death in the eye and laugh. Together, he and Lillian make an unusual pair, living only for the moment, without regard for the future. It's a perfect arrangement--until one of them begins to fall in love. "The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure."--The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Heaven High Hell Deep 1917 -1918
by Norman ArchibaldHeaven High, Hell Deep, 1917-1918, first published in 1935, is author Norman Archibald's account of his experiences as an aviator in World War One. Archibald (1894-1975) joined the fledgling U.S. Army Air Service in the spring of 1917, underwent flight training in the U.S. and France, and began his hazardous patrol and combat duty in the skies against the Germans. Unfortunately, after several months at the front, Archibald's plane was hit by shrapnel and he was forced to crash-land behind enemy lines. His story continues with his imprisonment and deprivations as a prisoner-of-war until the war's end and his journey to freedom in Switzerland and France.
Heaven High, Ocean Deep: Naval Fighter Wing at War
by Tim Hillier-GravesIn 1944, with the invasion of Europe underway and battles in the Atlantic and Mediterranean all but won, the Royal Navy`s strength could be focussed on the Far East and the Pacific where the Japanese were still a long way from defeat. Since the Battle of Midway, in June 1942, the United States had been slowly forcing the Japanese back, but it was a long, bloody process. The Allies needed to combine their forces more effectively if they were to bring the war to an end quickly. In response the Royal Navy massed its ships to add weight to the US Navy. With an attack force of four fleet carriers, and two more on the way, the RN`s role would be significant, but would take time to work up to the state of preparedness of their American cousins. And so a fleet was born for use in the Indian Ocean and, later, the Pacific. From April 1944 to August 1945 they would successfully fight many long, intensive battles. In this time each carrier would contribute greatly to victory, none more so than HMS Indomitable with her 5th Fighter Wing. They would be in thick of the fighting, achieve success and live perilously for a prolonged period, losing many men along the way. It was a war of attrition, which allowed little room for compassion or benevolence. The story told in this book is about the exceptional group of young men, from Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Holland and South Africa who joined the Fleet Air Arm as pilots. With their American-built Hellcats they were in the thick of the action, providing a hard, professional core to this fighting fleet that few would equal. Although its operational history is second to none, this was only achieved by the sacrifice and endurance of the men who flew many dangerous missions and daily lived with the spectre of a searing death. And so the book is about them, with war providing a back drop that broods and eviscerates in turn. How did these men come to be fighting as pilots with the Fleet Air Arm, how were they trained, how did they live, how did they prepare themselves to kill or be killed, what sustained them and what did they feel about their extremely dangerous experiences? Luckily some survived to record their thoughts and others left poignant memories for the curious to follow and explore. And here the author was lucky to meet or correspond with nearly all the survivors and be privileged to hear their stories. He follows the young pilots lives from selection, through training to operations. The 5th Wing went to sea in 1944 and were in continuous action, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from then until the last days of the war. They participated in strikes on Sumatra with the aim of destroying its highly important oil refineries, then they joined in the battles for Leyte and Okinawa, before moving with the British Fleet to begin the invasion Japan itself.
Heaven in a Wildflower
by Patricia Hagan"…light banter and easy camaraderie yielded to hungry desire and smoldering passion. Neither knew where their reckless emotions would lead, for there was no thought of tomorrow, only the here and now and the joy of each tender moment."—New Orleans and London, 1858 - 1865—Their love began in the mystical Louisiana Bayou, the beautiful Anjele Sinclair—born into southern wealth--and the mysterious, handsome Cajun known only as Gator. But the passion and joy they found in the secret darkness of the Bayou was forbidden.When Anjele's father discovers the illicit relationship, a lie is concocted to make Anjele believe Gator has been unfaithful with another woman. Infuriated and embarrassed, Anjele agrees to go to England for schooling, eager to forget being played for a fool.Four years later, she returns to Louisiana amid a time of southern turmoil and witnesses her father's brutal murder and the destruction of her home. Blinded by a blow to her head, Anjele is floundering in despair, until a man named Brett Cody comes to her aid.Anjele falls in love with the benevolent stranger. But when Anjele's eyesight returns, it's with mingled joy and anger over finding herself in the arms of the one man she'd taught herself to hate.Publisher Note: Patricia Hagan writes impeccable historical romance, transporting readers to a world of strong men, vibrant women, and unabashed passion.Don't miss these other titles from Patricia Hagan:Say You Love Me (A Historical Western Romance)Forbidden to Love (Author's Cut Edition)Passion's Fury (Author's Cut Edition)This Rebel Heart (The Souls Aflame Series, Book 1)This Savage Heart (The Souls Aflame Series, Book 2)Simply HeavenOrchids in MoonlightStarlightFinal Justice
Heaven Is a Long Way Off
by Win BlevinsThe fourth installment of the Rendezvous series, from award-winning author Win Blevins When Jebediah Smith's party of roving fur trappers is expelled from the Mexican territory of California, Sam Morgan is off for another adventure in this fourth installment of Win Blevins' Rendezvous series. The plucky Morgan, though tougher and wiser as a result of his experiences, is devastated when his Crow wife (Meadowlark) dies in childbirth. He is forced to leave his daughter Esperanza behind as the party travels to the adobe missions of Santa Fe. When a ravishing widow (Dona Paloma) falls for Sam, things begin to get sticky as Morgan makes plans to reclaim his daughter, only to learn that she has been kidnapped. Reclaiming Esperanza--and returning her to Wind River--becomes the greatest challenge of young Morgan's life. Rendered in gripping prose, Heaven Is a Long Way Off is an excellent addition to this thoroughly admirable Western series. Readers of Blevins will enjoy his careful look at group politics and race relations, which often finds his characters on the wrong end of a gun. His supporting research is fine, and historians of the period will recognize some of their favorite characters--Joe Meek, Kit Carson, Jim Bridger--in this motley band of resourceful (if uncouth) mountain men.
Heaven Is a Place on Earth: Searching for an American Utopia
by Adrian ShirkAn exploration of American ideas of utopia through the lens of one millennial's quest to live a more communal life under late-stage capitalismTold in a series of essays that balance memoir with fieldwork, Heaven Is a Place on Earth is an idiosyncratic study of American utopian experiments—from the Shakers to the radical faerie communes of Short Mountain to the Bronx rebuilding movement—through the lens of one woman&’s quest to create a more communal life in a time of unending economic and social precarity. When Adrian Shirk&’s father-in-law has a stroke and loses his ability to speak and walk, she and her husband—both adjuncts in their midtwenties—become his primary caretakers. The stress of these new responsibilities, coupled with navigating America&’s broken health-care system and ordinary twenty-first-century financial insecurity, propels Shirk into an odyssey through the history and present of American utopian experiments in the hope that they might offer a way forward. Along the way, Shirk seeks solace in her own community of friends, artists, and theologians. They try to imagine a different kind of life, examining what might be replicable within the histories of utopia-making, and what might be doomed. Rather than &“no place,&” Shirk reframes utopia as something that, according to the laws of capital and conquest, shouldn&’t be able to exist—but does anyway, if only for a moment.
Heaven Is Empty: A Cross-Cultural Approach to "Religion" and Empire in Ancient China (SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture)
by Filippo MarsiliHeaven Is Empty offers a new comparative perspective on the role of the sacred in the formation of China's early empires (221 BCE–9 CE) and shows how the unification of the Central States was possible without a unitary and universalistic conception of religion. The cohesive function of the ancient Mediterranean cult of the divinized ruler was crucial for the legitimization of Rome's empire across geographical and social boundaries. Eventually reelaborated in Christian terms, it came to embody the timelessness and universality of Western conceptions of legitimate authority, while representing an analytical template for studying other ancient empires. Filippo Marsili challenges such approaches in his examination of the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han (141–87 BCE). Wu purposely drew from regional traditions and tried to gain the support of local communities through his patronage of local cults. He was interested in rituals that envisioned the monarch as a military leader, who directly controlled the land and its resources, as a means for legitimizing radical administrative and economic centralization. In reconstructing this imperial model, Marsili reinterprets fragmentary official accounts in light of material evidence and noncanonical and recently excavated texts. In bringing to life the courts, battlefields, markets, shrines, and pleasure quarters of early imperial China, Heaven Is Empty provides a postmodern and postcolonial reassessment of "religion" before the arrival of Buddhism and challenges the application of Greco-Roman and Abrahamic systemic, identitary, and exclusionary notions of the "sacred" to the analysis of pre-Christian and non-Western realities.