Silk Roads Review
Silk Roads by Frank Dupaport is history book that is surprisingly easily digestible. Although rather sizeable, the chapters mostly divided by different roads of era, theme and topic make it consumable in self-contained chunks. Silk Roads has been received with great positivity through most industries. I was surprised to see that, beyond just the normal amount of book reiviews that are available through a google search, I also noticed how many reviews there were for this book on youtube. And then beyond this I was surpsied to and how many interviews and resources there were from Frank Dupaport. Searching Peter Frankopan on Google Scholar revealed that this book, only being published since 2014 has already being cited in other published works 117 times. This book may end up being a standard in world history and eastern history commentary.
One thing I was not prepared for though was that this book is not actually a history of the world, but is intentionally limited in scope. Frankopan admits this right off the bat, ““Above all, I hope to inspire those who read this book to look at history in a different way.”[1] I definitely think he accomplishes this! Consider just this one quote, ““although scholars have long called this period the Renaissance, this was no rebirth. Rather, it was a Naissance – a birth. For the first time in history, Europe lay at the heart of the world.”[2] This challenge so much of what I have came to find as common knowledge, and yet is hard to argue with.
Micheal R Drompp from Rhoads College writes eloquently in his review of Silk Raods, “These issues raise the important question of the book’s intended audience. It appears that the author is speaking primarily to persons who already possess some understanding of the major contours of world history; his goal is not to introduce them to world history per se but rather to encourage them to think about it in a particular way, with their gaze firmly on the world’s “spine” as the fulcrum for much of his consideration of principal themes in world history.”[3] I agree with Drompp and I think Frankopan was successful in reorienting the axis of the world to an area we are often unfamiliar with.
Similar to our very first read of our very year when we read, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity by Thomas C. Oden. In it this book and through reflection of writing the blog, I was enlightened to see how much of the outside world I had actually ignored. For our study as students in a D.Min. program at a Christian Seminary, the chapters that dealt with the spread of the different faiths over the different eras was particularly interesting for us. Frankokan himself said this was one of the highlights of his research and writing the book on the Silk Roads, of how religion seemed to keep popping up[4].
I think both of these books had a large amount of credence. This process though of being in the doctoral program has taught me to focus on not assume that the author is right and that the author is smarter than me. But when it comes to history I feel especially inept. And especially so when I am facing a well referenced, massive book, like Silk Roads. is that white culture is the dominant culture, and so extra work has to be done to see and even notice those other cultures which fall in the gaps and sometimes sink into a underground type of culture[5]. After studying this book, I am more thankful for the selection of Hong Kong as our 2nd year destination for studies. Seeing the connection that the Silk Road has provided.
A few months ago I was reading The Four with the children’s pastor at my church and one of things that jumped out at us right away was the phrase “Fascinating, but worthless.” It was used when describing the value of a study abroad program at NYU on Chilean Businesses. The program was “It does sound fascinating… but also most surely worthless.” The Children’s pastor at my church asked, “so ughhh… how do you feel about your Hong Kong trip coming up?”
I said, “hmmmmmm… Not Sure!”. It sounds fascinating, but what it will it actually do for me? All I could answer at that point was what the Capetown trip had done for me, which I feel is a lot.
I am tempting to put this Silk Roads book through that same filter. So fascinating! Where is my application. I think as Deep Change suggest one of the most important changes, is when your assumptions are changed. In this regard Silk Roads has been a very impactful book. A core shift is of course very significant. But application wise I’m not sure how to use this book at all. this is just an observation. Most of this semester’s reading has been about current leadership practices and discoveries that are very applicable.
Frankopan mentions that ,” We are seeing the signs of the world’s center of gravity shifting — back to where it lay for millennia,” and there are huge implications for that for business and large scale denomination leaders. But I am failing to see a realistic bite size action for me with all of that information. Is this book fascinating but pointless? What can I actually do with it? Maybe encouraging our church to take mission trips to that region instead of just Latin America?
I’m interested in your thoughts, how do you see yourself using this book in your work and ministry?
Works cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ54ojX5zlM
[1] xix
[2] silk roads.
[3] http://sla.ucpress.edu/content/ucpsla/1/2/100.full.pdf
[4] https://www.npr.org/2016/04/08/467419445/an-ancient-route-rolls-on-questions-for-peter-frankopan-author-of-the-silk-roads
[5] White Awake
7 responses to “Silk Roads Review”
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Hi Kyle,
What I appreciate about your research techniques is that you are the best of all of us at checking “modern” sources for our authors. I never would have thought YouTube would be a place to check for a HISTORY author, but you have proved me wrong. First, you introduced me to Audible, now I get to check YouTube, too!
Well done, and keep us young, Kyle!
This type of reasearch does have implications for my research as intentional, culturally relevant mission engagement requires a broad cultrual perspective that is able to see people and places from frech angles.
Kyle,
I made the same connection with Oden’s book from last Fall. Both of these books were an attempt to reframe history from a different perspective. I think these types of books along with the international experiences we are having will continue to shape our thinking as long as we live, even if we don’t fully realize how at the time. Do you have any more perspective on our Hong Kong experience and how that has influenced you yet?
Kyle,
Research that points us in a way we were not expecting is always a fascinating thing to partake in. These readings have forced us to look at what we know in a new way and truly do challenge us don’t you think? I found this book did a great job in reorienting our focus. Thanks for your post.
Jason
Good post, Kyle!
You talk about the balance of value and application throughout your assessment of Frankopan’s text. You mention that Silk Roads led you to a worthwhile discovery of history yet failed to present you with strong application. You wrote, “…application wise I’m not sure how to use this book at all.” Would you connect Frankopan’s work to our take on missions?
One concept that always stands out to me during the DMin advances is the lack of evangelism. We’re not going to a country and preparing to share the gospel, but to take a stance of observation.
Years ago, when missionaries went into the islands of Hawaii, they sought to change the culture. This occurred because westernization was upheld on the same platform as the gospel. Cultures were dismantled because Christianity was given with strings attached – recipients had to change their customs in order to claim themselves as Christians. How can we encourage missions and evangelism without deconstructing culture? Frankopan challenges us to see religion from an eastern view. How would that shape missionaries in their pursuit of preaching Christ to the nations?
The video you posted at the end was fun and helpful. I wish I had the time to read the book throughout, but it seemed interesting to me in the same way it reminded you of the spread of Christianity first to Africa. A different perspective and angle. This quote was important: “These issues raise the important question of the book’s intended audience. It appears that the author is speaking primarily to persons who already possess some understanding of the major contours of world history; his goal is not to introduce them to world history per se but rather to encourage them to think about it in a particular way, with their gaze firmly on the world’s “spine” as the fulcrum for much of his consideration of principal themes in world history.”
You bring out some great points Kyle…glad you were able to even though I know you found this book a little hard to apply to your ministry setting. I’m with you, as you know, not sure what to do with ALL of the info. Was hoping you had some good ideas 🙂