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'The depiction of Jesus and indeed of Mary in the Qur'an is a subject of great importance for a more intelligent dialogue between Islam and the Christian tradition. Too many people know little or nothing about it, and it is a pleasure to welcome the English translation of this book from a seasoned and creative scholar'
Praise for Forthcoming Gingko Publication
One of Gingko's forthcoming titles has received glowing endorsements from leading inter-religious figures including the former Archbishop Rowan Williams, Mona Siddiqui and Carole Hillenbrand.
Christmas and the Qur'an by Karl-Josef Kuschel explores the familiar and heart-warming story of Christmas, encapsulated by the birth of the infant Jesus. It is a story that unites two faiths that have so often been at odds with one another. The accounts of the Nativity given by the Evangelists Luke and Matthew find their parallels in Surahs 3 and 19 of Qur'an which take up the Annunciation to Mary (the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an), the Incarnation from the Holy Spirit and the Nativity - reason enough to investigate these parallel narratives further.
From this starting point, Karl-Josef Kuschel begins to look for Christmas in the Qur'an, a challenge for both Christians and Muslims to engage in a deeper dialogue about the fundamental questions of their faiths. By going back to basics, the holy Word, this detailed analysis of the original texts in both the New Testament and the Qur'an is both revealing and thought provoking.
This book is essential reading for academics and the wider public alike, providing an example of the common threads that bind two leading world faiths in a time when there is so much division.
Karl-Josef Kuschel is Professor Emeritus of Catholic Theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He taught the theology of culture and inter-religious dialogue and was the Deputy Director of Institute of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Studies.
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Culture in Crisis: At Home in Syria
The V&A and Gingko are organising an evening that will provide first-hand insight into how people save and protect cultural heritage sites within war-zone areas today.
Author and Middle East cultural expert Diana Darke and Syrian artist and archaeologist Zahed Tajeddin both own properties in Syria. Since the civil war erupted in 2011 their properties have faced constant threat - Diana's (Damascus), from war profiteers and Zahed's, (Aleppo) from relentless shelling and the destruction of his neighbourhood. Over the last 6 years both have regularly travelled back to Syria, not only to protect their property, but to actively help Syrians in desperate need of support. Diana's serves as a refuge for displaced friends.
The event will offer the opportunity for both individuals to recount their links to Syria, discuss the challenges facing the Syrian population and highlight the threat and destruction of Syria's historic monuments and sites. This is a rare chance for a UK audience to hear real and up to date accounts on what is really going on in present day Syria. Supported by photographs and with a Q&A session with the audience, the event will aim to highlight the plight of both the population and the country's heritage.
Tickets are £15 including a wine reception and can be booked
here
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Gingko to Launch Conference Volume Exploring the Mercantile Effect
'The Mercantile Effect captures unexpected glimpses of a vast and shifting landscape and brings them into
focus; this is what the future of art history looks like'
Dr George Manginis,
Executive Director, Benaki Museum
This beautifully illustrated volume publishes a group of papers delivered at the third Gingko confer
ence: 'The Mercantile Effect: on Art and Exchange in the Islamicate World during 17th-18th Centuries.'
Held in Berlin in 2016, this meeting brought together a group of established and early-career scholars
to discuss how the movement of Armenian, Indian, Chinese, Persian, Turkish and European merchants
and their trade goods spread new ideas and new technologies across Western Asia in the early modern
era. Operating through the newly-established Dutch, English and French East India companies, as
well as much older mercantile networks, prestigious exotic commodities: silk, ivory, books and glazed
porcelains were transported east and west. The collected essays in this volume introduce a fascinating
array of subjects, all of them indicative of the impact of transcultural exchanges during the 17th and
18th centuries.
Contributors:
Anna Ballian, Federica Gigante, Francesco Gusella, Gül Kale, Nicole Kançal-Ferrari,
William Kynan-Wilson, Suet May Lam, Amy S. Landau, Christos Merantzas, Nancy Um. Foreword by
Melanie Gibson, Introduction by Sussan Babaie.
Publication date - 27 November 2017
Price - £50
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News & Upcoming
Events
Views of Aden Lecture Available On-line
The excellent lecture given by
St John Simpson
, Assistant Keeper of the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum, in SOAS on 22nd September is now
available
to view on-line.
Summary: Aden excites different views. It is a bleak waterless spot but offers multiple harbours and is ideally suited to commanding trade with the Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea and is a vital entrepot for the Yemeni interior. Its early history is vague but that is not the subject of this lecture, which looks instead at the neglected subject of its colonial architecture, how this was shaped by the changing requirements of British administrators and governments and how it appeared to visitors. This lecture is illustrated with photographs and postcards from the British Museum collection, and the accompanying messages sometimes add amusing insights into the life and sights in Aden over the course of the twentieth century.
Click on the image above to be redirected.
Yemen Photography Exhibition Travels to Italy
Following the success of the Buildings that Fill my Eye: Architectural Heritage of Yemen exhibition (where over 6,000 people visited the Brunei Gallery), these beautiful
pictures are now moving to Italy. Hosted in the
MAO Museum of Oriental Art
, Turin, the exhibition will open on 10th October 2017 until 26 November 2017 before moving to Florence.
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Exploring the pre-Islamic cultures of the Hindu Kush
In partnership with the Royal Asiatic Society, Gingko are delighted to be welcoming Augusto S. Cacopardo to London this winter to talk about his fascinating book,
Pagan Christmas: Winter feasts of the Kalasha of the Hindu Kush.
His authoritative work sheds light on the religious world of the Kalasha people of the Birir valley in the Pakistani district of Chitral, focusing on their winter feasts which culminate in a great winter solstice festival. The Kalasha represen
t th
e last example of the pre-Islamic cultures of the Hindu Kush/Karakorum, but are also the only observable example, worldwide, of an archaic Indo-European religion. Cacopardo addresses the historical and cultural context of the area and, referencing an array of relevant literature, offers comparisons with the Indian world and the religious folklore of Europe.
Augusto S. Cacopardo has conducted anthropological research in Pakistan under the aegis of the Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente and is Professor of Ethnography at the University of Florence.
30th November 2017,
6.30pm
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Royal Court to show major new play by Syrian playwright
"They're leading us on, they're conning us. Open the coffins!"
In a small town in Syria, soldiers are celebrated as heroes and grieving families are nourished on propaganda.
As the coffins pile up, the local party leader decides on a radical compensation scheme: a goat for each son martyred.
"Has anyone ever told the truth? Has anyone ever demanded it? Does anyone want it? Does anyone even need it?"
Goats is a major new work by Syrian playwright and documentary filmmaker Liwaa Yazji developed as part of the Royal Court's long term project with writers from Syria and Lebanon. Royal Court Associate Director Hamish Pirie (Violence & Son, Who Cares, Teh Internet is Serious Business) directs.
Tickets can be bought here
To stay informed
about Gingko
www.gingkolibrary.com
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