Desiring Conversion

Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth

By: B. Diane Lipsett

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Hardcover | 1 December 2010

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Hardcover
208 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.6

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Self-Restraint May Appear To Be The Opposite Of Erotic Desire; Yet Diane Lipsett Shows The surprising and complex interplay of erotic desire and self-restraint in three ancient tales of conversion. She offers nuanced literary analysis of The Shepherd of Hermas, from the Apostolic Fathers, the Acts of Paul and Thecla, from the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, and Joseph and Aseneth, often considered an ancient Jewish novella.

Lipsett examines codes concerning marriage and continence, virginity, and sexual renunciation in the three tales. She finds that "conversion"— a marked change in a protagonist's piety and identity—is in part an effect of story, a function of narrative textures, coherence, and closure. Each tale shows change in the protagonist's identity by treating desire and restraint, and passion and renunciation, as opposing categories. Yet, as Lipsett shows, these tales also complicate the relations of desire and restraint, deploy gender distinctions in surprising ways, and depict conversion as variously precipitated, driven, or disciplined by desire, even while insisting on sexual restraint.

Lipsett's approach is theoretically versatile, drawing on the writings of Foucault, psychoanalytic theorists, and the ancient literary critic Longinus. Lipsett offers close readings of each story, while advancing discussions of ancient views of desire, masculinity, virginity, and the self.

Industry Reviews

This is a sophisticated contribution that offers new insights and suggestions for further research. * Eric Thurman, Theology Vol. 116 *
This study is warmly recommended as succinct, eminently readable, and enlightening, both for its contemporary relevance and for its sympathetic and informed reading of the texts and their wider context. * F. Gerald Downing, Journal of Theological Studies *

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