Kirjahaku

A poetic autobiographical wonder, this superb collection is interspersed wit the richest of verses, speaking of romance and love, of odes to his clever loving wife as well as outspoken rhymes in defence of the environment and other conditions in the world that need the voice of an advocate

Leo the Great was the beneficiary of the consolidation of the power of the papacy in Rome and the Christianization of the city over the course of the preceding century. In this carefully nuanced study Bernard Green demonstrates the influences at work on this celebrated pope's development as a theological thinker, including two of the most reknowned theological names of the period, Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo. Green charts Leo's theological journey from his first encounters with the Pelagian and Nestorian controversies, where he engaged Cassian as an advisor. Leo took an admiring though limited view of Cyril of Alexandria but misunderstood the weaknesses in Nestorius' thought. As pope, Leo preached a civic Christianity, accessible to all citizens, baptising the virtues of the classical and civic past. The study then examines Leo's recently dated sermons and reveals the evolution of his thought as he worked out a soteriology that gave full value to both the divinity and humanity of Christ, especially in reaction to Manichaeism. In the crisis that led to Chalcedon, Leo's earlier misunderstanding of Nestorius affected the content of his Tome, which was atypical of the Christology and soteriology he had developed in his earlier preaching. Green persuasively concludes that its emphasis on the distinction of the two natures was an uncharacteristic attempt to respond to both Eutyches and Nestorius, as this pope understood them. In the light of Chalcedon, Leo produced a revised statement of Christology, the Letter to the Palestinian monks, which is both more accomplished and better aligned with his characteristic thought.

The reader is taken on a journey from the earliest roots of Christianity to its near acceptance as religion of the Roman Empire. The reader is taken from the very first generation of Christians in Rome, a tiny group of Jews who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, down to the point when Christianity had triumphed over savage persecution and was on the verge of becoming the religion of the Roman Empire. Rome was by far the biggest city in the Roman world and this had a profound effect on the way Christianity developed there. It became separate from Judaism at a very early date. The Roman Christians were the first to suffer savage persecution at the hands of Nero. Rome saw the greatest theological movements of the second century thrashing out the core doctrines of the Christian faith. The emergence of the papacy and the building of the catacombs gave the Roman Church extraordinary influence and prestige in the third century, another time of cruel persecution. And it was in Rome that Constantine's patronage of the Christian faith was most evident as he built great basilicas and elevated the personal status of the Pope.

I am a founder member and secretary of the British Parachute Association and this book gives information on early parachuting in the UK followed by development of skydiving and the formation of the British Parachute association. There are also autobiographical stories about events that might be interesting to a variety of readers to create thought and discussion.There are also an assortment of poems and stories particularly about people but also nature and politics

In 1987 the author purchased a box of early glass slides. Therewas no explanation as to their origin or content. He was busyso he put them in his loft and forgot them. Thirty years laterin 2017 when he retired he re-discovered them. He found thatthey were over one hundred years old. At fi rst he thought theywere taken in South America as they showed natives with barefeet and ancient crossbows. After having the photographs processedinto digital format, he realized that they related to amilitary mission by fi ve men connected to Australia and GreatBritain in the period of the 1st World War.They acquired one of the fastest yachts afl oat known as theG.L. WATSON 'RAINBOW' in order to inspect and repair theunder-sea telegraph and radio systems that was tremendouslyimportant to shipping safety and military information andlogistics.The secretive journey took them throughout South-East Asiaand Vietnam with visits to the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Theyspent a long time in Vietnam taking photographs which tella story of why the French Military were building huge gunemplacements at Cape Saint Jcques (now called Vung Tau).