In a religious system which presupposed a covenant not just between God and the individual Jew, but between God and Israel as a nation, the sense of communal solidarity had an abiding impact, regardless of the differences between denominations. Read by Leighton Pugh.
For more than thirty years, the US has sought to avoid deploying ground forces into protracted conflict. It has nevertheless done so in almost every single one of those years. Perhaps it is time to accept reality. Read by Leighton Pugh.
On the latest episode of History Lessons, Mattias Hessérus is in conversation with Christopher Coker discussing humanity’s compulsion for conflict.
Islam — unlike Christianity — may not have a central motif of pain, sin and suffering, but it reveals so much about what it means to live with adversity. Read by Leighton Pugh.
While Christianity may strive to sing in a single voice, no one modern denomination ought to claim a monopoly on the truth. The region’s history is in fact far more eclectic. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The Hindu tradition of Radha and Krishna calls us to see passion as the kernel of all religion. Read by Leighton Pugh.
As Jesuit missionaries spread further across the globe, the order’s founder wanted to ensure that its members remained connected. The result of this was an unparalleled network of knowledge which superseded religious tensions. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Portugal’s commercial dominance of large swathes of the world lasted little more than a century but the images, transmissions, and trades that it engendered left a significant and long-lasting influence. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Sea power derives from resources, a direct interest in sea-based trade, and pressure exerted by enemies. In the modern age, the importance of these factors in international affairs remains paramount. Read by Leighton Pugh.
If a peace deal is not reached, all the key ingredients are present for Yemen to become a failed state. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Acts of extreme self-sacrifice – such as suicide bombing – are not aberrations. They tell us something about our deepest instincts for group loyalty. Read by Leighton Pugh.
So-called civilisational states, including Russia, China and India, invoke fake histories to justify and buttress their contemporary political settlements. But those who cannot let go of the past are always at risk of finding themselves imprisoned by it. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Flags have become synonymous with nationhood, character, spirit, and power. In an age of renewed nationalism, their power should not be underestimated.
The line between disinformation, propaganda and fake news is often blurred. This is especially the case when it is unclear whether these untruths or half truths are being disseminated by the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Once established, Roman exceptionalism and empire needed to be justified and maintained. The practical application of mythology was one way in which this was achieved. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The US once enjoyed the esteemed position of being the ‘city on the hill’, a beacon of hope and an example to the rest of the world. Post-9/11, however, the superpower’s conduct in the Middle East has left its reputation tarnished. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Peering into the hearts and minds those living four thousand years ago is an impossible task. However, when it comes to the worship of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna, it seems clear to be, quite literally, a labour of love and fear. Read by Leighton Pugh.
On the latest episode of History Lessons, Mattias Hessérus is in conversation with Katja Hoyer on the creation of the German empire, the role of Otto von Bismarck in its creation and what this period reveals about Germany today.
The second half of the last century was defined by the struggle between socialist and capitalist economic systems. While it now appears that the latter has prevailed, this was not always evident. Read by Leighton Pugh.
While the US remains the sole reigning super power, the rise of China adds complexity to the current world order. Geostrategic conflict is inevitable, but mutual economic interdependence can help manage that conflict and keep it from spiralling out of control. Read by Leighton Pugh.
As the largest country in the world, Russia’s might past and present has an inherent link to its geopolitics. But since the decline of the Soviet Union, Moscow’s eyes are constantly straying beyond the national borders. In Russia, expansion is often regarded as a means of self-defence. Read by Leighton Pugh.
There is frequently no real reason why one person has more claim to live or even rule over a piece of land than another. A reason, however, must be provided and it can often be found in a fantastical interpretation of history. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The history of man is a story of mimicry and copying rather than innovation and ‘light-bulb moments’. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Voltaire predicted that religion would be defunct in fifty year’s time. Karl Marx called it the opium of the masses and Nietzsche declared that God is dead. Adrian Wooldridge is now saying that He is back. From the rise of Islamic extremism to American evangelism, the twenty-first century is seeing a religious renaissance. Read by Leighton Pugh.
In a religious system which presupposed a covenant not just between God and the individual Jew, but between God and Israel as a nation, the sense of communal solidarity had an abiding impact, regardless of the differences between denominations. Read by Leighton Pugh.
For more than thirty years, the US has sought to avoid deploying ground forces into protracted conflict. It has nevertheless done so in almost every single one of those years. Perhaps it is time to accept reality. Read by Leighton Pugh.
On the latest episode of History Lessons, Mattias Hessérus is in conversation with Christopher Coker discussing humanity’s compulsion for conflict.
Islam — unlike Christianity — may not have a central motif of pain, sin and suffering, but it reveals so much about what it means to live with adversity. Read by Leighton Pugh.
While Christianity may strive to sing in a single voice, no one modern denomination ought to claim a monopoly on the truth. The region’s history is in fact far more eclectic. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The Hindu tradition of Radha and Krishna calls us to see passion as the kernel of all religion. Read by Leighton Pugh.
As Jesuit missionaries spread further across the globe, the order’s founder wanted to ensure that its members remained connected. The result of this was an unparalleled network of knowledge which superseded religious tensions. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Portugal’s commercial dominance of large swathes of the world lasted little more than a century but the images, transmissions, and trades that it engendered left a significant and long-lasting influence. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Sea power derives from resources, a direct interest in sea-based trade, and pressure exerted by enemies. In the modern age, the importance of these factors in international affairs remains paramount. Read by Leighton Pugh.
If a peace deal is not reached, all the key ingredients are present for Yemen to become a failed state. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Acts of extreme self-sacrifice – such as suicide bombing – are not aberrations. They tell us something about our deepest instincts for group loyalty. Read by Leighton Pugh.
So-called civilisational states, including Russia, China and India, invoke fake histories to justify and buttress their contemporary political settlements. But those who cannot let go of the past are always at risk of finding themselves imprisoned by it. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Flags have become synonymous with nationhood, character, spirit, and power. In an age of renewed nationalism, their power should not be underestimated.
The line between disinformation, propaganda and fake news is often blurred. This is especially the case when it is unclear whether these untruths or half truths are being disseminated by the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Once established, Roman exceptionalism and empire needed to be justified and maintained. The practical application of mythology was one way in which this was achieved. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The US once enjoyed the esteemed position of being the ‘city on the hill’, a beacon of hope and an example to the rest of the world. Post-9/11, however, the superpower’s conduct in the Middle East has left its reputation tarnished. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Peering into the hearts and minds those living four thousand years ago is an impossible task. However, when it comes to the worship of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna, it seems clear to be, quite literally, a labour of love and fear. Read by Leighton Pugh.
On the latest episode of History Lessons, Mattias Hessérus is in conversation with Katja Hoyer on the creation of the German empire, the role of Otto von Bismarck in its creation and what this period reveals about Germany today.
The second half of the last century was defined by the struggle between socialist and capitalist economic systems. While it now appears that the latter has prevailed, this was not always evident. Read by Leighton Pugh.
While the US remains the sole reigning super power, the rise of China adds complexity to the current world order. Geostrategic conflict is inevitable, but mutual economic interdependence can help manage that conflict and keep it from spiralling out of control. Read by Leighton Pugh.
As the largest country in the world, Russia’s might past and present has an inherent link to its geopolitics. But since the decline of the Soviet Union, Moscow’s eyes are constantly straying beyond the national borders. In Russia, expansion is often regarded as a means of self-defence. Read by Leighton Pugh.
There is frequently no real reason why one person has more claim to live or even rule over a piece of land than another. A reason, however, must be provided and it can often be found in a fantastical interpretation of history. Read by Leighton Pugh.
The history of man is a story of mimicry and copying rather than innovation and ‘light-bulb moments’. Read by Leighton Pugh.
Voltaire predicted that religion would be defunct in fifty year’s time. Karl Marx called it the opium of the masses and Nietzsche declared that God is dead. Adrian Wooldridge is now saying that He is back. From the rise of Islamic extremism to American evangelism, the twenty-first century is seeing a religious renaissance. Read by Leighton Pugh.
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