Getatchew Haile Ordre des livres

This volume, written by Abba Isayeyyas, is a hagiographical history of Akala Krestos, a sixteenth-century Gondarite prince. When there was a rumor that the prince's father, Galawdewos, was preparing to overthrow his brother Emperor Fasiladas (1632-1667) - 'he amassed at that time a private army of mighty ones' - a scheme was designed for Galawdewos to appear at the palace. However, he was slain as soon as he arrived. Akala Krestos was in school at that time. When one of his father's attendants informed him about his father's murder, he fled for his life. He walked from school in Gondar to the Monastery of Dabra Libanos in Shoa where he took the monastic garb and became a great ascetic. He visited the Monastery of Abuna Gabra Manfas Qeddus (Zeqwala) before he returned home and built a modest monastery called Medra Zoga.

European, not the least Scandinavian, mission societies have played an important role in shaping modern Ethiopia and Eritrea. In spite of this the long-term impact on Ethiopian society by European missions has not yet received much attention. The predominance of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in society and nation makes Ethiopia an exception in the history of European missions, and raises questions of an ecumenical character, which need more attention. Present tension in Ethiopia between Orthodox and Evangelicals, and the tendency to identifiy Christian affiliation with ethnic identity, contribute to make this an urgent matter. The present volume presents the papers delivered at a symposium on these questions held at Lund University in August 1996. They include discussions on the justification of foreign missionary activity in a country already Christian, the impact of the Catholic missionary enterprise of the 16th and 17th centuries, the colonial context of late 19th century missionary activity, the impact of the Europeans on social and intellectual developments, the struggle of the Ethiopian Catholics for an Ethiopian identity in the face of latinization and colonial interests and the question of European influence on structure and leadership in the Evangelical Churches.