Church HistoryThe African Popes of the Early Church
They held the highest seat in Christendom. And almost no one remembers them. A look at the North African pontiffs who shaped early Christianity.
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The Archive
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Historical scholarship from Crowns Before Chains
7 articles found
Church History
ANCIENT KINGDOMSThe Kingdom of Kush and the 25th Dynasty: When African Kings Ruled Egypt
Before Egypt became a province, Nubian kings sat on the pharaonic throne. A story of conquest, culture, and a legacy written in stone.
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FAITH & EMPIREEthiopia's Imperial Church Before Colonialism
For 1,500 years the Ethiopian Orthodox Church crowned kings, composed scripture, and outlasted every empire that tried to erase it.
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CBC
ScholarsThe Moorish Scholars of Medieval Spain
African and Berber scholars preserved Aristotle, advanced medicine, and built the libraries that helped shape the Renaissance.
In research →
CBC
Africa & EuropeWhen Renaissance Courts Looked to Africa
From diplomatic gifts to royal portraits, the early modern era was more connected than the textbooks suggest. More research coming soon.
In research →
CBC
ResistanceQueen Nzinga and the Art of Diplomatic War
She outmaneuvered empires for decades. A new dispatch on Queen Nzinga's military genius and statecraft is in the works.
In research →
CBC
ANCIENT EMPIRESThe Aksumite Empire: The African Superpower Rome Feared
Before the rise of European empires, Aksumite traders controlled the Red Sea and challenged Rome itself. Yet this African superpower barely appears in Western history books.
In research →