{"product_id":"empire-of-god-how-the-byzantines-saved-civilization-9781637587423","title":"Empire of God: How the Byzantines Saved Civilization","description":"\u003cb\u003eWithout the Byzantine Empire, there never would have been Western civilization.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWestern civilization is generally regarded as the child of Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome. That is, in the West, our philosophical and political thought is derived from that of the ancient Greeks; our Christian religion comes from the Jewish religion, and both of these came to us via the Roman Empire and the civilization and culture it created. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWestern society has other forefathers as well: we would be unwise to give the Byzantine Empire short shrift. The ways in which it has influenced our world for the good, and indeed, created the parameters of our society at its healthiest and strongest, are insufficiently appreciated today. In its confusion, uncertainty, and lack of direction, the West has lost its way. There is a great deal it can, and should, learn from Byzantium. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf the United States were to last as long as the Roman Empire, including its Byzantine period, it would have to continue as an independent country, with political and cultural continuity, until the year 2899. To maintain a unified nation state for over eleven hundred years is a remarkable achievement by any standard, and the Romans accomplished it while facing existential threats and efforts to extinguish their polity during virtually every period of their existence. Now, nearly six hundred years after the demise of the empire, its influence still resonates in a number of fields, albeit almost entirely unnoticed and unappreciated. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThere is no arguing with success. It's time we took notice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRobert Spencer is director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is the author of thirty books, including the bestsellers \u003ci\u003eThe Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe Truth About Muhammad\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe History of Jihad from Muhammad to ISIS\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eThe Critical Qur'an\u003c\/i\u003e. Spencer has led seminars on Islam and jihad for the FBI, the United States Central Command, United States Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group, the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Justice Department's Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and the U.S. intelligence community. He has discussed jihad, Islam, and terrorism at a workshop sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the German Foreign Ministry. He is a senior fellow with the Center for Security Policy and is a regular columnist for \u003ci\u003ePJ Media\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFrontPage Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. His works have been translated into numerous languages.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bombardier Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51615564038418,"sku":"9781637587423","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2f647118-7fd3-4ac2-9559-ef30c517faa8.jpg?v=1758103415","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/empire-of-god-how-the-byzantines-saved-civilization-9781637587423","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}