WORLD FUTURE FUND LIBRARY
A WINDOW INTO TIME
A VISION OF WORLD HISTORY
There is a logic and an order to world history. The past can be a mirror on the future. Power comes from the discernment of world historical trends. Information about the past in today's world is like the water of the oceans. It seems to go on forever. We bring vision and organization to a window into time. Our entire study of the past has a utilitarian orientation. We are seeking to learn lessons about political theory and political power that will relate to today.
A LONG-TERM VISION OF HISTORY
There are about 5000 years of recorded history - starting with the founding of the Old Kingdom in Egypt. Today, we are 2000 years away from the time of Jesus, Augustus Caesar, the Han Dynasty in China and the Kushan rule in India, which created a decisive transformation of Buddhism. If we went back another 2000 years into the past from the time of Jesus, we would have to go back still another 700 years to reach the time of the Pyramids. Thus, we need to look at history in terms of long-term trends.
A STUDY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Modern western society is based on political and religious ideas from the world of ancient Greece and Rome. We believe that there are lessons to be learned from ancient history. The "Renaissance" is named after the concept of a "rebirth" of classical civilization. America's "democracy" is the rebirth of a political concept that had been dead for almost 1700 years after the Roman Republic was replaced by the Empire in 30 B.C..
TAKING A GLOBAL LOOK AT HISTORY
We also need to take a global look at history. All too many U.S. history books ignore Asia. In reality Asia and the west were closely connected in the ancient world. The division between east and west was largely the result of the failure and collapse of the west during the "Dark Ages". During this period the dominant world civilizations were Asian - not western European.
A major global trend of our time is the rebirth of Asia. Islam is a major factor in the Middle East, central Asia (the former Soviet Union), Chinese central Asia, India, Pakistan and the world's largest Islamic state, Indonesia. Islam is also America's fastest growing religion and will replace Judaism as America's second largest religion before the year 2000.
China and Japan are emerging as giant economic superpowers and over the long term this economic power is certain to be turned into political and military power. The Chinese Empire (named after the ancient state of Chin) lasted from 225 B.C. to 1911 A.D.. Britain's world empire was a mere flash in the pan by comparison. In the opinion of many experts today's China is a continuation of that Empire. Chairman Mao, for example, portrayed himself as the modern version of China's first Emperor.
As we look into the next century, we need to put aside the vision of the last century, when European colonial empires dominated Asia for a really tiny period of time in world history.
THE DISASTROUS STATE OF AMERICA'S LIBRARIES:
WHY WE MADE THE HUGE INVESTMENT IN OUR LIBRARY
It has been said that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes. Unfortunately, finding out about the past is not an easy task today. Newspaper articles reveal that local budget crises are leading to a severe emergency in library systems all over America. Another problem is massive theft. Even the Library of Congress has had to totally redo its security.
HARD-TO-FIND RESOURCES UNDER OUR CONTROL
VERY IMPORTANT OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS
BOOKS FROM OVERSEAS
It is amazing how many very important books are out of print. These books are high priority targets for thieves in public and even university libraries. Even a major seminary library near us has had a major theft problem! We also have key books from Europe, India, China and the Middle East via book dealers with direct access to those areas. It has sometimes taken us years to find these valuable tools of research.
ONLINE EDITION OF OUR LIBRARY (Pictures of key areas)
We are beginning to put our library online. More will be coming.
SUGGESTED READING LISTS