History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Great Advice on things they do and don't teach in Sunday School
BIZARRE
Excellent Resource
Serious Theology?
New Insight for an Old Lutheran

The Lutheran Handbook

Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806651792

Book Description

The essential field guide for all things Lutheran. Confirmands — or anyone hiking the trails of life's adventures and challenges — will want to pack this handy illustrated field guide to Lutheran theology and culture. This enjoyable, easy-to-read, reliable, all-in-one collection helps you understand the essential information about our theology, culture and Lutheran way of life. Organized by Church Stuff, Everyday Stuff and Bible Stuff with how-to's like "How to Forgive Someone" and lists like "The Top-10 Bible Villains." Encapsulates essential principles of the Christian life, making many of the complexities of our religious tradition accessible for contemporary seekers.

Customer Reviews:

Great Advice on things they do and don't teach in Sunday School.......2007-06-21

`The Lutheran Handbook', edited by Kristofer Skrade, under the auspices of the Augsburg Fortress publishing house, the publishing arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is a simply delightful little book, which may loosely be thought of as `Lutheranism for Dummies'. It is chocked full of the kind of things they never really get around to teaching you in cathechism class. Or, if they do, you never quite realize the importance of such simple things as how to sing a hymn, how to receive communion, or how to deal with the collection plate. Believe it or not (Plato to the contrary), we are not born with this knowledge. It is also remarkable to see the variability in practices across different Lutheran congregregations, even those belonging to the same Synod of the ELCA.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that there is plenty in here which would be useful to non-Lutherans. As a one-time Catholic, I can vouch for the fact that about half of the book is easily applicable to both Catholics and all the `liturgical' Protestant denominations. I'm a bit fuzzy on what the `non-ligurgical' denominations do in the place of the mass or the Lutheran service, so there may be just a bit less applicability there, but there is no harm in checking it out.

As simple as much of the material is, there is also quite a bit which is remarkably sophisticated. I am planning an advanced adult bible study class, and I was astonished to find one section outlining, very concisely, the major events between the completion of the Hebrew Bible and the time of Christ. This is exactly how I was to begin my class, which at the very least makes it easy for me to demonstrate that this ancient history is really important in understanding the origins of Christianity.

The icon of a winking Luther on the cover gives away the fact that much of the material in the book is just slightly tongue in cheek. I'm delighted to find that an `official' arm of the Lutheran church can show some hints of the kind of humor Kevin Smith put in his movie `Dogma' (check out the `buddy Christ'). One of my favorite bits of humor was how to approach a pot luck dinner, by region. Being something of an accomplished amateur cook, I'm convinced that the person who wrote this section knows practically nothing about food.

In a much more serious vein, it's revealing that the book instructs us (Lutherans, that is) in making the sign of the cross. Now, isn't that a Catholic thing? Well, no it isn't, and it is a perfectly acceptable sign of devotion. I wish I would have known that back in the day when I felt just a bit self-conscious being a former Protestant and participating in services with Catholics genuflecting now and then, especially for grace and what have you. In an even more serious vein, there is advice on how to resolve interpersonal conflict. From personal experience, I can vouch for the fact that there is a lot more of this in church circles than you may expect, more, in fact, than you may even find in the business world. I don't guarantee that `The Lutheran Handbook' will solve all such problems, but it's good to have something you can lean on when the situation arises.

For the non-Lutheran, there is a great little bit of information on the taxonomy of Christian denominations. The surprise here is that many contemporary denominations are of relatively recent origin. The Pentacostal denomination, for example, dates back to 1900!

Most important of all to Lutherans is a great layman's explanantion of the law, the gospel, and grace. For those of us who are more than 40 years past their confirmation classes, this is worth reading over several times.

Note that this same treatment by the same editors is given to Lutheran theology in `The Lutheran Handbook II', which may be even more useful to non-Lutherans.

BIZARRE.......2007-01-20

This book has been presented as a humorous, lighthearted attempt to instruct Lutherans on their religion. Not so! It is peculiar and bizarre as opposed to being comical. An example: On page 127, number 5 of a list of Ways to Banish the Devil From Your Presence, "BREAK WIND The devil (along with anyone else in the room) might well leave you alone (This was one of Martin Luther's favorites.)" Witty, if you are perhaps in the 3rd grade. On page 161 of The Five Grossest Bible Stories shows this statement in a box, "Jeremiah strapped on some filthy underwear to show God could no longer be proud of the people." Inside the box is a cartoonish drawing of Jeremiah in a diaper with a diagram arrow pointing to "dirty underwear". What we are given here is simple mindlessness posing as hilarity. Pathetic and insulting. Don't buy it and if your church has already purchased any, return them and demand your money back. The book has no redeeming value.

Excellent Resource.......2007-01-03

The Lutheran Handbook has been a smashing success for it's publisher, Augsburg Fortress, and for good reason. It is funny, concise, thorough and well-organized. I am a Lutheran pastor and we have used this book as the basis for both adult education studies and confirmation class. People new the the Lutheran tradition find it an informative and quick read and always appreciate borrowing the church's copy.

Serious Theology?.......2006-11-28

This book might be a fun read, but there is a dearth of serious theology being taught in the ELCA these days. I would not consider this serious theology.

New Insight for an Old Lutheran.......2006-09-05

Wonderful book that combines humor and
Christian beliefs. Very easy to read and
apply to every day life

Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Pew Edition

Average customer rating:

Nice all-in-one worship resource

Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Pew Edition
Evangelical Lutheran Church
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0806656182

Customer Reviews:

Nice all-in-one worship resource.......2007-01-22

I am not a musician and I can't read music, so I'll leave it to the more musically qualified to weigh in on the merits of the hymns and service settings in this new Lutheran worship resource. But I am a Lutheran, I love a sung service, and I enjoy singing hymns. Just published, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) is intended to replace the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW or "green book") published in 1978 at the time when three historic American Lutheran bodies merged to form a single denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

What I like about ELW is its abundance of choices, its completeness, and its transparency. Unlike the LBW, this new resource is designed to facilitate private worship as effectively and fully as public worship. The section for the Propers for Sundays and Principal Festivals is clearly laid out, including for those Sundays beginning in Pentecost when churches have the option of pursuing "complementary" or "semicontinuous" Old Testament readings. Unlike the old, two-year Daily Lectionary, the Daily Lectionary in the ELW follows a three-year cycle, making it easier for the worshipers to integrate their priviate devotions with what the larger church is doing on Sundays. Another important improvement is the inclusion of all 150 Psalms, not just the "safe" or "polite" ones. The first piece of service music, which immediately follows the last Psalm, is numbered #151. This is significant. It is a way of reasserting the Psalter's rightful place as the Church's primary collection of worship music. The numbering helps us remember that the Psalms are not to be treated as texts only. They pre-date the church, in fact, and from the beginning have served as important works of musical and spiritual expression. Also important for private devotions is the inclusion of Martin Luther's "Small Catechism" and a short article explaining the Scriptural basis of worship (where the precise verses are identified for all the key phrases that form the skeleton of our worship service). More than its predecesor, ELW gives the motivated Lutheran worshiper the chance to prepare ahead of time for Sunday worship, and to reflect upon it afterwards--a reminder that being a Christian is not just what we do, think, and say on Sunday.

What I mean when I praise ELW's "transparency," is that those who prepared this volume have taken pains to explain why we worship the way we do, to present the logic and rationale behind the options available to us. Each section of the book is introduced with a brief explanation of what is being presented and what makes that element of worship noteworthy. Similarly, there is ample use of rubrics to call attention to worship options within the various settings and services. I even appreciate that they have added a footnote to the Nicene Creed to remind worshipers that the phrase "and the Son" is a later addition to the Creed.

Even more so than the LBW, this hymnal is sensitive to the diversity of the church and demonstates a sense of joy about embracing all lands and cultures. Likewise, it recognizes that the laity is capable and ready to take greater leadership in the "work" of the church; the text distinguishes between "presiding ministers" (i.e., ordained clergy) and "leaders" and "assisting ministers" in a way that is empowering rather than restrictive.

I look foward to exploring the new settings for Communion as part of my Sunday worship. And I encourage all Lutherans to obtain a personal copy of ELW and begin using it as part of your personal devotiions.

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Lutheran Book of Worship /Green Leather

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ASIN: 0800633342

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

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Another feminist hymnal
Best in Class - A Reappraisal
Best in Class
Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal

Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal

Manufacturer: Northwestern Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810004224

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Another feminist hymnal.......2005-06-07

I was in the WELS in the late eighties when our pastor clued me in to what was happening with the new hymnal - beginning with the omission of anthropos (men) from the Nicene Creed.
"Blessed are the Sons of God" (391 in TLH) becomes "Blessed Are the Saints of God" (394 in CW); "Ye Sons of Men, Oh Harken"
(TLH 75) becomes "Arise, O Christian People" (CW 14). "Born that man no more may die" in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" becomes "born that we no more may die." Rugged old Martin Luther is made fitting for the ladies' brunch - in "A Mighty
Fortress," the line "And take they our life, Goods, fame, child and wife" is civilized into "And do what they will (the sillies!), Hate, steal, hurt or kill..." and so on. Monosyllabic words are preferred. Fanny Crosby, a well-meaning, 19th century author of 8,000 hymns (one of which she once heard and did not recognize as hers) is included with such entries as
"Take the World, But Give Me Jesus" - well-meaning, but devoid of theological content.
The ELS was originally in the committee to produce this hymnal, but backed out and - with only 20,000 members - produced
a much better one on their own.
There's Lutheran theology here - somewhere - but it is tainted
by dumbing down and by the anti-scriptural feminist movement of the late 20th century, which has given us, besides hymnals such as this, a legacy of unprecedented divorce rates.

Best in Class - A Reappraisal.......2004-01-15

The purpose of this mini-review is twofold: to make two factual emendations to my original review of July 2003 that go a little beyond the bounds of the "Edit" function -- and especially to apologize for them. Also I'd like to personally thank Mr. Paul Stradman for so tactfully editing his review to indicate out that yes--indeed--the WELS' *CHRISTIAN WORSHIP* hymnal (1993) does indeed contain the hymns "Rock of Ages" and "Amazing Grace," unlike what I had said in my original July 2003 review. That review, unless redacted by Amazon, should still appear intact a couple of entries below.

(I know this sounds trivial but if a church organist assumes the church hymnal contains "Amazing Grace" and a firefighter's funeral looms, well . . .) At any rate, Mr. Stradman's slight nudge provokes this Red Ryder BB-gun onslaught of honesty; I can only ask that you read me out before reaching for the all-damning "NO" button that would indicate I wasn't of help. I am trying to be of help, and indeed my original July 2003 review is still of help, subject to what's below.

WELS' hymnal contains not only "Rock of Ages" but "Amazing Grace". That was my first mistake. The second was my implication that a hymn like "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" had to be translated out of the German when the truth is more circuitious if a bit irrelevant. Some of the old 18th Century and older English hymns were translated into German before the 19th Century emigration of Northern German and Scandinavian Lutherans to the USA and Canada, and sometimes, upon translation back into contemporary American English, they sounded a bit different--and a bit less open to interpretations of "cheap grace" as I explained in my original review.

All this is true--but in the interest of active ethics--Mea Culpa! I culled my two examples from *THE AMBASSADOR HYMNAL*! Blame "living-room floor" research compounded by to adult-onset color blindness. I was juggling, comparing and contrasting the Missouri Synod, WELS, and Ambassador hymnals to look for different nuances of phrasing and translation. WELS' *CHRISTIAN WORSHIP* and *THE AMBASSADOR HYMNAL* are as good as identical for thickness, trim size, format [liturgy followed by hymnody], indexing, ordering of hymns, pub. date [early 1990s], and color: one is a very deep dark red, the other just dark. My "dim" (in both senses of the word) research helped trigger both blunders.

Nonetheless, I stand by the general tenor and thesis of my appraisal of the WELS hymnal and the reasons I like it; a follow-up phone call to the book's owner was in order. Mr. Stradman gave even solider reasons he liked it so much to award it a "five" as a hymnal for his home denomination. Indeed, a ninety percent acceptance rate is extraordinary. Seven years after the introduction of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s hymnal in 1991, acceptance was only in the middle eighties and actual use down in the low seventies.

My "four" rating represents no actual flaw in "CHRISTIAN WORSHIP" but merely my assumption that, since the hymnal had received such thunderance acceptance within its home audience, that Amazon shoppers would consist instead mostly of people like home pianists, church organists, people interested in different kinds of church liturgics (including those in search of fresh or insightful wording such as clergy), people interested in Northern European ethnic heritage or Lutheranism--and finally some side consideration to those who collect hymnals as physical product (the "well-made book"), and just possibly congregations playing the field looking for a starter or replacement hymnal.

Some people among such a polyglot universe may indeed find CHRISTIAN WORSHIP a veritable "Six" (that's Ideal, isn't it?) but to me the whole idea is that CHRISTIAN WORSHIP can't and shouldn't be all things to all people all the time, something like the old adage that "Everyone's friend is everyone's fool." Besides, I rarely give Fives. ;)

Please, though, read my earlier review of this underappreciated tome, and read Mr. Stradman's superior effort even more closely. When I can, I intend to re-borrow THE AMBASSADOR HYMNAL from the same well-heeled Lutheran intellectual who lent it to me last year along with CHRISTIAN WORSHIP and review it--under a brighter light!

"To err is human, to forgive, divine."

Best in Class.......2003-07-17

This innocuous, maroon-covered charmer was published specifically to meet the needs of the Milwaukee-headquartered Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a smallish denomination only about five percent the membership of the two largest American Lutheran affiliations combined. It doesn't pass the politically-correct acid-test of other 1990s hymnals (Did it omit "Onward, Christian Soldiers"? Did it include "Spirit Song"?).

No, it doesn't have "Spirit Song." Not even "How Great Thou Art," which seems pretty shocking for a hymn which was translated from Swedish in the Fifties and has been showing up, translated, into all kinds of American hymnals since then--especially those with a heavy German/Scandinavian heritage close kin to the WELS denomination's *Christian Worship.*

But really--that's beside the point. To this reviewer it isn't a matter of what it lacks; there are plenty of middle-of-the-road hymnals out there but this one is relevant and appropriate to WELS members and clergy. The volume contains catechisms, confessions, creeds and service liturgies like the Eucharist. It's chock-full of hymns from Northern Germany and Scandinavia and considered as a bearer of heritage is certainly no more provincial than the current (1982) Episcopal hymnal, which bears even fewer of the best-known American hymns in favor of multiple versions of English tunes.

And for the rest of us, the more I look at the Hymnal, the more intriguing it can be. *Christian Worship* is a non-compromiser in its stance on its specifically Lutheran viewpoint on theology. By means such as fresher (and frequently more contemporary and accurate) translations from the German or minor alternative phrasing to text, the reader/singer will encounter subtle nuances more in accord with Martin Luther's doctrine of "Salvation Through Grace by Faith" specifcally that demonstrate that the process of salvation is, under Lutheran doctrine, less automatic and autonomous ("cheap grace" is the slur term) than were often seen to be the case in later Wesleyan/Methodist interpretations of salvation.

For example, the last line of verse one of "Rock of Ages" ends in most mainline hymnals with "Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure." The WELS version leaves no doubt that salvation is not something like a consumer good that can be ordered: "Be of sin . . . Cleanse me from its guilt and power." At this point I must say that other hymnals from other similarly-sized Lutheran denominations and affiliations in the Upper Midwest have their own take (or poetic license, if that metaphor isn't too presumptuous) in terms of theological guidance. For example, what is in the United Methodist Hymnal's version of "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" as "Let us find that second rest," winds up in the *Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary* from Mankato, MN as "Let us find Thy promised rest." (At this point, I've exhausted my theological knowledge ;) .)

Here's where it must be said that using alternate translations or even scrapping traditional in favor of alternative lyrics (if properly indicated as such) is no sin, not legal, intellectual or theological. These are matters of very old expressions of faith, not copyrighted Rogers & Hammerstein tunes. The public domain rules the old, old hymns.

The bound volume itself is very, well stitched, very "flippable" and easy to use, and with all the best back-of-the-book reference techniques. Pity it seems not to be on acid-free paper or else it would last a lot longer than its 62-year-old parent. Nonetheless, a bargain.

If WELS members are more than pleased with the 1993 hymnal, from what I know I quite agree. From my own situation and all mental trifling aside, I can think of situations in which congregations outside the fold might want to use such a dignified hymnal. (An appreciation of Lutheranic or Scandianavian/ German heritage certainly helps, of course.) Such a close-bound congregation might see the WELS hymnal as preferable to the type of hymnal catering to the burgeoning "unihymnals" deliberately marketed toward more rootless, homogenized or surburban fellowships--there are tradeoffs pro and con, of course.

Not a Nordic? Anyone with an interest in general liturgy or musicology would do well to take a look at the unique contributions of style, liturgics, heritage and outlook found in this handsome, distinctive and well-wrought tome.

...
.

Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal.......2002-05-13

Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal is the hymnal of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. It was published in 1993, and within a few years it was in use in over 90% of WELS congregations. The committee's goal was to "preserve, improve and enlarge" the Lutheran worship heritage, building on the materials in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941). The hymnal uses contemporary, and inclusive language, yet retains Elizabethan English in many hymns that could not be revised without violence to the text. I've been leading worship with it for over nine years, and have found it is very user friendly, yet very substantial in content. The hymns are not "dumbed down." Special features: sixty psalms with refrains, responsive prayers for the seasons, multiple settings (harmonizations) of tunes when the tune appears more than once, contemporary settings of Service of Word and Sacrament, Service of the Word, Evening Prayer (Vespers). The Common Service and Morning Praise (Matins) retain the tunes that were in TLH. ...and yes, it does have Amazing Grace (#379) and How Great Thou Art (#256)!

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Time for a REVISED & UPDATED Lutheran Book of Worship

Lutheran Book of Worship: Gift Edition

Manufacturer: Fortress Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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ASIN: 0800633652

Customer Reviews:

Time for a REVISED & UPDATED Lutheran Book of Worship.......2004-05-05

I think the ELCA needs to hire an exceptional writer and sit down with a few creative pastors and re-write some of the liturgy. Some of the basic regularly-used liturgy is good. However, the majority of it is extremely dry for today's church goers (Hence the increasing popularity of non-denominational highly-musical "fun churches" and the decline in membership to liturgical/ceremonial denominational churches). This worship book was published in 1978. It's about 6 years overdue for a major revision (though ELCA rumor has it that a new LBW is in the works).

Yes, it would cost a lot for all those churches to convert to a new hymnal. Then again, it probably cost a lot when they moved from the 1958 "red hymnal" to the current 1978 "green hymnal". Though that didn't stop them from converting back then. How about a 2005 "blue hymnal" where they could incorporate some of the more popular hymns and liturgy from hymnal add-ons like "With One Voice". They could then delete some of the less popular hymns from the old (current) Lutheran Book of Worship. Honestly, do we really need two, three, or more different books in the pew? Let's consolidate those add-ons into one awesome new Lutheran Book of Worship.

Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical

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Thorough critical analysis of the history of liturgy
A monumental work
Thorough and worth the money
If you own 1 book on liturgy: This is the one!
Senn will rapidly become the standard for the field.

Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical
Frank C. Senn
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0800627261

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Thorough critical analysis of the history of liturgy.......2006-01-28

Frank Senn is greatly qualified to write this book on the history of Chrisitan worship. Currently serving as the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Evanston, Illinois, he had served as a professor at the Lutheran School of Theology (Chicago) and lectured at Seminex and the University of Chicago. This book is an attempt to tackle a huge topic: the history of worship that is both "catholic" (with an awareness with their connection with the whole Church through the ages--usually through the historic liturgy) and "evangelical" (applying this historic liturgy in a modern way, with an eye toward contemporary needs and even the unbeliever). He thus places his focus on the liturgies of the Roman Catholics, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, United Church of Christ, and Methodists. Modern a-ligurgical worship, Eastern Orthodox worship, and informal Calvanist worship is only touched upon briefly.

This 700+ page book was difficult for this reader. The first major division (Worship from c.30 AD to the Reformation) was covered at lightning-speed so that I found it difficult to "keep up" with Senn; the second major division (the Reformation) was just the opposite--really, really slow; the final major division (Reformation to the present) was by far the most enjoyable section of this book.

"Christian Liturgy" definately requires a substantial degree of prior liturgical knowledge and church history. German and Latin abound in this book; historical churchmen are referenced frequently; and technical jargon is employed liberally. In between these things are brilliant summeries and insightful critical analysis of both theology and liturgy. He also effectively balances the "what happened" and the "so what? Why should I care." Senn shows that both the pastor and church-goer should care a great deal about the historical development of the liturgy.

By far, his best section (especially from the "so what?" standpoint) is his third section (Reformation to present). He covers the rapidly-changing-yet-rapidly-growing-together liturgical movements and explains why the various denominations worship as they do. His epilogue on worship in a postmodern era was excellent and has influenced the way I think about modern free-form liturgy.

In sum, this book is recommended for professionals (pastors, professors) who have an interest in the historical development of the "historic Western liturgy." If you don't have the linguistic or historic background knowledge, don't let this book intimidate you, it would be worth it to take your time and work through the book--it will enhance your worship and your appreciation for liturgical worship.

A monumental work.......2003-06-14

When I say that Frank Senn's book 'Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical' is a monumental work, that description takes several dimensions. The book itself is very large (nearing 800 pages) and covers virtually all aspects of worship practises in Christianity from the earliest beginnings to the present innovations and continuing reformations/reconstructions both in denominational senses and a broader, more ecumenical sense.

Do not be deceived by the subtitle Catholic and Evangelical -- these words have specific meanings that go beyond denominational or sectarian confines. In a sense, every Christian group or denomination strives to be catholic, universal. 'Liturgy that is catholic is that which serves the public proclamation of the gospel in word and sacraments as celebrated by the whole people of God in Christ Jesus.... With or without bishops, the Churches of the Reformation (Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican) were also concerned with catholicity. They embraced whole peoples of territories and nations in established or state churches, and in that sense, they were not sects.... Liturgy that is catholic is that which expresses the faith and way of life (i.e., culture) of a whole people, but within an ecumenical shape by which it maintains a sense of continuity with catholic churches of other times and places.'

In another sense, every Christian group or denomination strives to be evangelical, outreaching and proclaiming. 'The evangelical content of liturgy has served sometimes as a corrective of the catholic tendency to root liturgy in the culture of a people. Words and ceremonies derived from indigenous cultures are not always shorn of their heathen connotations.'

The first section, The Prolegomena, covers aspects of the rituals in Christian worship in terms of theology, philosophy, and symbolic meaning. The roles of symbols and rituals, the roles of myth and music are explored as an underpinning for all subsequent specific discussions.

Senn early in the writing confesses the inadequacy of this or any book to encompass with equal emphasis the performance of liturgy in every time and place. Given the wide variance in history, geography, and denominational/confessional group, the history of liturgy is vast and diverse. Giving a nod to other recent scholarly efforts at liturgical development (The Study of Liturgy by Oxford Press, Dix's The Shape of the Liturgy, et al.), Senn nonetheless argues that this volume is a valuable contribution because of the breadth of coverage both historically and geographically.

In this book one can see the early developments in the eastern church come alive once more in modern liturgical 'innovation'; compare and contrast Reformation liturgies from Scandanavia and Germanic regions with the more Roman Catholic Mediterranean regions, with the more static eastern orthodox liturgies struggling to remain faithful in territories dominated not by other denominations but by other religions.

This is great resource for scholars and for those looking for liturgical ideas and innovations. The final chapters, which include social considerations to be included in liturgical development, including how to reach the 'unchurched', can be particularly useful. The Indices are arranged by Subject, Persons, and Biblical References and Documents. There is an extensive bibliography for further research and reading.

Useful for reading or for research, Senn's book is a valuable resource for anyone concerned for the art of liturgy.

Thorough and worth the money.......2001-11-25

I got this book "on a whim" thinking it would be good to have on hand. It has proven to be more than good. As a Lutheran teacher who teaches religion, I am able to refer to this book and get a great Lutheran view of Christian history and liturgy.

If you own 1 book on liturgy: This is the one!.......2001-01-25

Not only helpful, but thorough and complete. Being Lutheran, I particularly enjoyed the accuracy of the Lutheran detail, but this is not to suggest that any one component is less than thoroughly and comprehensively researched. My students ordered it with no regrets! I recommend it!

Senn will rapidly become the standard for the field........1998-09-29

Phrases such as "exhaustively researched," "brilliantly argued," and "magisterial treatment" are overused. Nevertheless, these phrases are simply descriptive of Senn's CHRISTIAN LITURGY.

Senn presents chapters on "The Repertoire of Rites" (informed by, but not merely a re-hash of, Eliade and Douglas) and "The Incarnational Reality of Christian Liturgy." Part One: "From Meal to Mass" takes us up to the Late Middle Ages in about 260 pages, with some excellent insights into Syrian, Alexandrian, Roman/North African, Gallican/Mozarabic, and other rites. Part Two: "Reformation Liturgical Traditions" gives greatest attention to Lutheran liturgical development in the 16th century, though Senn does provide useful material on Unitas Fratrum, Anabaptists, Reformed Liturgy, the Anglicans, and the Catholic Reformation. Part Three: "Liturgical Loss, Retrieval, and Renewal" brings us up to the present, including "The Feminist Critique" and "Reaching the Unchurched." The book ends with an Epilogue on Postmodern Liturgy. Fortunately, the Epilogue is a detailed treatment and not just a few pages of vague rhetoric (which more often than not marks epilogues these days).

The Bibliography is extensive (almost 30 pages) and is divided into a variety of topics--historical, theological and theoretical. The Indices are also usefully divided, into Subject, Persons, Biblical References and the various orders and rites.

Senn's focus on liturgy is not exclusive. He does not describe a cloistered people separated from the world in which they are housed.

Throughout we find clear implications for ecclesiology, mission,evangelism, and outreach.

This goes on the shelf right next to Dom Gregory Dix's THE SHAPE OF THE LITURGY, some parts of which have now been eclipsed by Senn.

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Lutheran Book of Worship

Lutheran Book of Worship: Organist

Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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With One Voice: A Lutheran Resource for Worship

ASIN: 0800633601

Customer Reviews:

Lutheran Book of Worship.......2007-02-16

I ordered the organist edition. What I received was no different from the pew edition at the Church. I assumed there was an error, but didn't think it was worth trying to exchange it. The book was fine except for being the wrong edition, and Amazon's prompt shipping service has always been exceptional.

Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation, and Three Centuries of Conflict

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An excellent enterance into the worship of early Lutherans

Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation, and Three Centuries of Conflict
Joseph Herl
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195154398

Book Description

How important was music to Martin Luther? Drawing on hundreds of liturgical documents, contemporary accounts of services, books on church music, and other sources, Joseph Herl rewrites the history of music and congregational song in German Lutheran churches. Herl traces the path of music and congregational song in the Lutheran church from the Reformation to 1800, to show how it acquired its reputation as the "singing church." In the centuries after its founding, in a debate that was to have a strong impact on Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries, the Lutheran church was torn over a new style of church music that many found more entertaining than devotional. By the end of the eighteenth century, Lutherans were trying to hold their own against a new secularism, and many members of the clergy favored wholesale revision or even abandonment of the historic liturgy in order to make worship more relevant in contemporary society. Herl paints a vivid picture of these developments, using as a backdrop the gradual transition from a choral to a congregational liturgy. The author eschews the usual analyses of musical repertoire and deals instead with events, people and ideas, drawing readers inside the story and helping them sense what it must have been like to attend a Lutheran church in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Parallel developments in Catholic churches are discussed, as are the rise of organ accompaniment of hymns and questions of musical performance practice. Although written with academic precision, the writing is clear and comprehensible to the nonspecialist, and entertaining anecdotes abound. Appendixes include translations of several important historical documents and a set of tables outlining the Lutheran mass as presented in 172 different liturgical orders. The bibliography includes 400 Lutheran church orders and reports of ecclesiastical visitations read by the author.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent enterance into the worship of early Lutherans.......2004-10-22

This book reviews the worship of the first two centuries of the German Lutheran Churches. Using visitation records, Herl looks at what the actual worship services looked like and sounded like. This book covers, not only what the service orders were like, but also how they were used by the congregations, and how the laity of those congregations responded to these services. Herl sees the first centuries as ones of great change, with the slow adoption of hymns and hymnals, but also how those centuries were marked by conflict, with lay choirs gradually giving way to congregational singing (which singing was...well, not always good). Also, the changes from Latin to German, and the changes with the introduction of the organ are covered.
I enjoyed this book, often reading parts of it aloud to my wife (who was not always as thrilled as I was), and depressed by parts of it (as liturgical Lutheran worship was not always well received). I learned a great deal more about the history of my church by reading this book. I recommend it to all pastors and laity interested in scholarly work on worship, church music, and the results of the German reformation.

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