The Suffering Self: Pain and Narrative Representation in the Early Christian EraThe Suffering Self is a ground-breaking, interdisciplinary study of the spread of Christianity across the Roman empire. Judith Perkins shows how Christian narrative representation in the early empire worked to create a new kind of human self-understanding - the perception of the self as sufferer. Drawing on feminist and social theory, she addresses the question of why forms of suffering like martyrdom and self-mutilation were so important to early Christians. This study crosses the boundaries between ancient history and the study of early Christianity, seeing Christian representation in the context of the Greco-Roman world. She draws parallels with suffering heroines in Greek novels and in martyr acts and examines representations in medical and philosophical texts. Judith Perkins' controversial study is important reading for all those interested in ancient society, or in the history `f Christianity. |
From inside the book
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Page 6
... suggested that the question one should ask about any emerging complex of discourses is: where is the power in this knowledge? As Averil Cameron noted in her study of Christian rhetoric, the development and control of a given discourse ...
... suggested that the question one should ask about any emerging complex of discourses is: where is the power in this knowledge? As Averil Cameron noted in her study of Christian rhetoric, the development and control of a given discourse ...
Page 9
... suggested that Christianity failed to make much difference in the Roman empire because it failed to affect social practices such as slavery or judicial savageness. But the major difference Christianity made was itself, its own ...
... suggested that Christianity failed to make much difference in the Roman empire because it failed to affect social practices such as slavery or judicial savageness. But the major difference Christianity made was itself, its own ...
Page 15
... suggests that Christian “reality” was unrelentingly filled with risk, pain and death. The traditional explanation for the emphasis on suffering in Christian texts has been that it reflected the desperate situation of a hounded community ...
... suggests that Christian “reality” was unrelentingly filled with risk, pain and death. The traditional explanation for the emphasis on suffering in Christian texts has been that it reflected the desperate situation of a hounded community ...
Page 17
... suggested above, a representational revolution. Through the agency of Christian representation, numbers of persons acquired a changed selfunderstanding and a changed world-view. Numerous elements likely contributed to this revolution ...
... suggested above, a representational revolution. Through the agency of Christian representation, numbers of persons acquired a changed selfunderstanding and a changed world-view. Numerous elements likely contributed to this revolution ...
Page 19
... suggest a certain familiarity with Christian practice. He displayed a knowledge of their teaching methods, their contempt for death, their abstemious habits and their pursuit of justice. Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus had both less ...
... suggest a certain familiarity with Christian practice. He displayed a knowledge of their teaching methods, their contempt for death, their abstemious habits and their pursuit of justice. Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus had both less ...
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
2 Marriages as Happy Endings
| 41 |
3 Pain Without Effect
| 77 |
4 Suffering and Power
| 104 |
The Acts of Peter
| 124 |
6 The Sick Self
| 142 |
7 Ideology Not Pathology
| 173 |
The Community of Sufferers
| 200 |
Notes | 215 |
Bibliography | 228 |
Index | 247 |
Other editions - View all
The Suffering Self: Pain and Narrative Representation in the Early Christian Era Judith Perkins No preview available - 1995 |
Common terms and phrases
Achilles Tatius actions Acts of Peter Aelius Aristides ancient Anthia Aristides Asclepius Blandina bodily Callirhoe Chaereas Chariton chastity Christ Christian community Christian discourse Christianity’s civic Clitophon constructed contemporary context Contra Celsum couple’s cultural death Democritus demonstrated depicted described Dinocrates displayed divine doctors dream early empire elite emperor emphasis endurance Epictetus Eudemus example explained explicitly father focus focused Foucault function Galen genre god’s Greek romances Habrocomes hagiography healing Hermocrates human ideological Ignatius individual Justin knowledge Konstan Leucippe Leucippe and Clitophon Lives Lucian MacMullen Marcellus Marcus Aurelius marriage martyr Acts martyrdom medicine Melite nature novel offered pagan pain particular Peregrinus period Perpetua persecution person philosopher physical pirates plot Prognosis prohairesis readers recognized rejected representation represented resurrection role Roman empire saints second century sick Simon slave social society society’s soul Stoic suffering body suggested traditional understanding wellborn woman Xenophon