Parrésia XV - Revue pro východní křesťanství (2022)

In the new issue of our journal, readers will find a thematic block "Christians in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Arabia." The chronological breadth aims to suggest that the beginnings of Christianity on the Arabian Peninsula go much deeper than is generally believed, and the local religious ferment underwent a turbulent development with several significant turns. All five contributions not only bring original research from Czech scholars but also previously unknown translations of sources from Syriac Aramaic and Arabic. The topic is further complemented by an interview with Arabist, Syrologist, and Hebraist Dr. Mladá Mikulicová, an essay by Prof. Luboš Kropáček, and several reviews of current publications. We also offer many interesting insights – including reflections on the performative component of Eastern liturgy, an article on the relationships of the Order of the Teutonic Knights with Byzantium and the Kingdom of Hungary, two articles examining Czech-Armenian relations in the 20th century based on unique archival documents, and also a translation of two texts by the early Christian African bishop Cyprian of Carthage.