Augsburg Aegean odyssey
Augsburg Professors Phil Adamo (History) and Phil Quanbeck II (Religion) along with Dr. Ruth Johnson ’74, Augsburg regent and Mayo Clinic physician, have, on three occasions since 2003, taken Augsburg students to Greece and Turkey exploring the Aegean world of the Apostle Paul and ancient travel. In October 2008, Drs. Ruth and Phil, who are also married, thought it would be great to lead a study tour for adults, Augsburg alumni, and friends of the College. And, with the help of Lori Moline ’82, of CrossingBorders, they did.
The tour began in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, which had been the capital of the Ottoman Empire and for over a thousand years prior to 1453, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium. The tour ended in Athens and Corinth, with a short cruise to Patmos and Crete in between. The tour visited places important to the Apostle Paul, the cities of the Book of Revelation, and also learned about the ancient and the modern world.
The group enjoyed local expert guides in Turkey and in Greece. The Drs. Ruth and Phil also provided content and enrichment with reflection on the meaning of the sites for understanding the world of early Christianity but also the contemporary worlds of the West and the Islamic world. They hope to lead another study tour, perhaps to the Aegean again or to Israel, in the near future.
These photos by Larry Turner ’69 show many of the highlights from the trip.
