Review of Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts; ISBN: 978-1-80049-880-8

[markodim721]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts; ISBN: 978-1-80049-880-8" by Elena Ene D-Vasilescu.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

A book entitled Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts by Elena Ene D-Vasilescu brings readers an interesting insight into the Byzantine philosophical and artistic tradition. The book is actually a collection of seven author's articles published in the period from 2019 to 2021 in various scientific journals. The topics covered in these articles are a combination of Byzantine and Medieval Studies, theology, and history in general. The author, who is also a professor and researcher at the University of Oxford, attempts to fully encompass the medieval concept of thinking and conceiving the world through her approach.

Typical topics covered in the book include the concept of beauty by Pseudo-Dionysius, the Venetian church of San Marco in the eleventh century, church icons, common elements in the writings of church dignitaries Gregory of Nyssa and Dionysius the Areopagite. The book contains more high-quality photos and sketches that greatly help readers to better understand the topic. According to the scientific nature of the articles that make up the parts of the book, the author often refers to the relevant results of her scientific colleagues. For the same reason, it can be said that the book requires a certain level of prior knowledge of Medieval history as well as the history of Byzantine and theology. I believe that without a certain amount of prior knowledge in the above areas, the full potential of the book cannot be felt.

What I really liked about the book Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts are the author's knowledge of the period of human history in question. Elena Ene D-Vasilescu did not adhere to a strict understanding of Byzantine history and tradition, but in the book, she offered readers a broader framework for understanding the whole phenomenon. The book analyzes not only the achievements in Byzantium itself as the heirs of the Roman Empire but also in the states and regions that at some point fell under the sphere of Byzantine influence. Thus, along with the famous church of Haghia Sophia in the former Constantinople, numerous Serbian medieval monasteries found their place, such as Gračanica, Dečani, Bogorodica Ljeviška, Staro Nagoričino, Studenica, as well as the famous fresco White Angel from Mileševa Monastery. The part of the book that I liked the most is the one dedicated to St. Mark's church in Venice and finding numerous similarities with the church of the Apostles in Constantinople. This astonishing fact is explained by the well-known practice of the Byzantine emperors that, as part of their diplomacy, they often used and sent their capable builders and decorators to help. The book is well-edited since I found only a few typos.

I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like in the book Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts. The book is primarily intended for the professional public, and if it were to become a book of choice for a wider circle of readers, I think it would be useful to supplement the book with additional information that the typical reader is probably not familiar with.

With great pleasure, I rate the book Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts with four out of four stars. The material in the book is logically organized and the author has shown exceptional scientific objectivity, often quoting the achievements of her colleagues. Also, the book abounds in quality photographs and sketches that provide additional information and deeper insight into the topic.

I recommend the book to fans of Medieval history and Byzantium, theology, philosophy, but also the history of art, noting that the full potential and enjoyment of the book will be felt with some prior knowledge.

******
Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts; ISBN: 978-1-80049-880-8
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Shivansh_007]

Seems like an interesting book. It's full of psychological and scientific studies. Thanks for the insightful review.

[Unosthetic]

I'm not familiar with the topic but it sounds interesting and educational. Thanks for your wonderful review.

[vitalisvicky]

This sounds like an informative book that historians can benefit from it. I like the concept of Byzantine philosophical and artistic traditions. Thanks for the review.

[addicted reader]

Glimpses into Byzantium sounds like a well-researched book that covers various aspects including medieval concept of thinking, ancient theological world among others. To write this kind of book calls for intense research, and from the review, I can easily gauze that the author did. Thanks for this insightful review.

[addicted reader]

Glimpses into Byzantium sounds like a well-researched book that covers various aspects including medieval concept of thinking, ancient theological world among others. To write this kind of book calls for intense research, and from the review, I can easily gauze that the author did. Thanks for this insightful review.

[markodim721]

Seems like an interesting book. It's full of psychological and scientific studies. Thanks for the insightful review.

The book is really interesting, although it is complex and requires some prior knowledge. Thanks for the comment.

[markodim721]

I'm not familiar with the topic but it sounds interesting and educational. Thanks for your wonderful review.

The topic is multi-layered, complex but also interesting. Thanks for stopping by.

[markodim721]

This sounds like an informative book that historians can benefit from it. I like the concept of Byzantine philosophical and artistic traditions. Thanks for the review.

That's right, but I believe it would benefit all people interested in Western civilization. For example, the Serbian monasteries of Gračanica or Bogorodica Ljeviška are located in Kosovo, while the Dečani monastery is located in Metohija (the eastern half of what the mass media often call Kosovo). This, for example, can help to have a more realistic view of the Serbian-Albanian conflict over Kosovo (and Metohija). Thank you for stopping by.

[markodim721]

Glimpses into Byzantium sounds like a well-researched book that covers various aspects including medieval concept of thinking, ancient theological world among others. To write this kind of book calls for intense research, and from the review, I can easily gauze that the author did. Thanks for this insightful review.

Thanks for the constructive comment, I appreciate it. I'm glad you liked my review.

[Paluk Pathania]

Definitely, something I need to add to my collection. I'd want to educate myself on all of the theories presented. Thanks for your insightful review!^^

[John Karanja 1]

Most of the history highlighted in this book is very well connected to the theology and philosophy taught today in various institutions.
Congrats for great review.

[markodim721]

Definitely, something I need to add to my collection. I'd want to educate myself on all of the theories presented. Thanks for your insightful review!^^

I am glad that my review made such an impression. Thanks for the comment.

[NancyDrew12]

I cant say this book is for me but it does seem insightful. I like how the book includes pictures to help the readers understand better. Great review!

[Review Writer]

This is an expository review. The scientific and the historical theme of the book makes it sounds interesting to me. thanks for this review.