In resurrecting this overlooked dimension of the naval strategist’s life and thought, Bowles’ book is revelatory. To Mahan were attributed reigning doctrines of maritime military strategy: the importance of achieving fleet superiority and concentration, of securing distant ports for naval resupply, and of protecting strategic sea lanes for commerce and communications, among others.īut little did I know, until reading God and Sea Power, that Mahan was not only a father of geopolitics but also a father of the Episcopal Church he was a churchman no less than a seaman. MacKinder, he was introduced to me as a founding father of the discipline for his seminal 1890 work, The Influence of Sea Power on History. I read God and Sea Power while crossing the North Atlantic this winter on the Queen Mary II, which only added to my appreciation for the daring project Bowles undertook in this spiritual travel log of America’s greatest naval historian and strategist.įiguratively, I first met Mahan in Geopolitics 101 as an undergraduate at Georgetown University. Scholar Suzanne Bowles (née Geissler) explores the interesting nexus between church and sea – and, more pointedly, sea power – in her telling of the life, career and faith of Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914). Had the Romans not ruled the waves, the Jesus movement may never have spread with such success. Such symbolism resonated in a world centered around the Mediterranean, Christianity’s cradle and the “lake” of the Roman Empire. The ancient church adopted the fish as a shibboleth signifying their secret fellowship, an acrostic derived from the Greek for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior,” the initial letters of each word spelling “ichthys,” or fish. He pledged to his disciples, “I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1: 16-18). Like Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, Jesus conquered primordial fears of the deep when he walked on water. Indeed, life at sea was a metaphor of the early church. The nave, or long expanse in the cruciform design where worshippers gather under a vaulted ceiling, derives its name from “naval” because its shape reminded church builders of an inverted ship’s hull. Shipping to Canada is a flat rate of $14.99 and all other countries are $19.99 and there is also no extra charge when shipping more than one item.Īll orders are shipped promptly using the United States Postal Service.Step inside a traditionally built church and, in a sense, you’re boarding a capsized ship. We can ship to virtually any address in the world. If your order is less than $15.00 we offer Standard Shipping within the U.S at flat rate of only $4.99. Your order total must be $15.00 or more to qualify for the Free Shipping promotion. Posterazzi is offering Free Shipping on all U.S. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order. If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days). You should expect to receive your refund within 2 weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. We offer a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee so that you can always buy with confidence. You may return any items within 30 days of delivery for an exchange or a full refund.
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