The Ascetic Imperative in Culture and CriticismUniversity of Chicago Press, 2011 M01 15 - 344 pages In this bold interdisciplinary work, Geoffrey Galt Harpham argues that asceticism has played a major role in shaping Western ideas of the body, writing, ethics, and aesthetics. He suggests that we consider the ascetic as "the 'cultural' element in culture," and presents a close analysis of works by Athanasius, Augustine, Matthias, Grünewald, Nietzsche, Foucault, and other thinkers as proof of the extent of asceticism's resources. Harpham demonstrates the usefulness of his findings by deriving from asceticism a "discourse of resistance," a code of interpretation ultimately more generous and humane than those currently available to us. |
Contents
II Discipline and Desire in Augustines Confessions | 89 |
Grünewalds Isenheim Altar | 135 |
IV Philosophy and the Resistance to Asceticism | 201 |
V The Ascetics of Interpretation | 237 |
Notes | 271 |
Works Cited | 297 |
Index | 315 |
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Common terms and phrases
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