Christopher Harding

The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East

Friday 4 October
Castle Hill Baptist Church
10.30am

Join author and broadcaster Christopher Harding as he explores the western fascination with the east. 

From the time of the ancient Greeks onwards, the West’s relationship with Asia consisted, for the most part, of outrageous tales of strange beasts and monsters, of silk and spices shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far away. By the twentieth century, and after centuries of warfare, much of Asia might have come under Western rule, but its intellectual, artistic and spiritual influence was fighting back.

In this wonderfully varied and entertaining history, Christopher charts the many ways in which, over centuries of tangled encounters, Asia has shaped European and North American culture – from the British Empire to the Beatles, yoga and today’s mindfulness practices.

Tickets £12.00
includes refreshments

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