Book meme

[theatokos]

10 books I don't think anyone on my friends list has.

This is tough because I have such a literate and diverse group on my friend's list. I'm trying to represent the different sections of my "library" but this is hard.

1. The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs. Great Australian children's book given to me when I was born, with fun pictures.

2. Essays of Revolt by Jack London. The particular copy I have is from my father, a 1926 edition.

3. Against Culture: Development, Politics and Religion in Indian Alaska by Kirk Dombrowski. I have not read this one yet.

4. The Old Testament Pseudepigraphia Vol. 1. Multiple Books of Enoch anyone?

5.Mythistory by Joseph Mali. Historical methodology.

6. The Idea of Wilderness by Max Oelshlaeger. Exactly what the title suggests. I really liked this.

7. Empress and Handmaid: Nature and Gender in the Cult of the Virgin Mary by Sarah Boss, who is my advisor.

8. The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland by Mary Condren. Haven't read the whole thing yet.

9. Encountering the Mystery; Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Not as good as I was expecting. Very dry. Not recommended unless you're hard core - and if you are, you probably know most of this stuff already.

10. And for a novel.... Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flannagan. I recommend getting your hands on the hard copy - the ink changes color to reflect what's happening in the story and the pictures are water color plates. And it's a really good book.

Comments

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

I think I had OT Pseudepigrapha...or portions thereof...probably recycled them by now. Are you using multiple Enochs or just happy to possess them? :P

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I took a class on apocalypticism from the American Baptists. AWESOME. If tedious. I mean, the trumpets.... they just don't stop....

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

I had it for Dead Sea Scrolls, & yeah. Tedious. I like the crazy imagery, but the actual process of studying any of those texts is for better persons than me.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

L'shana tovah!

[makeda55.livejournal.com]

Looking at the OT Pseudepigraphia vols 1 & 2 on a nearby bookshelf. ... I think I looked at The Serpent and the Goddess when it came out & decided not to pick it up.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Argh!! So hard with such literate and relgiously literate friends!!

[keypike.livejournal.com]

0/10 here.

[eye-of-zohar.livejournal.com]

Not so fast!

I've got both of the volumes of the Charlesworth "Old Testament Pseudepigrapha", though Volume Two doesn't have anything nearly so compelling as the Enochiana in Volume One (but does have some goodies).

Don't miss Charlesworth's long-delayed forthcoming book (11/08), "The Good and Evil Serpent: The Symbolism and Meaning of the Serpent in the Ancient World" (http://www.fieldsbooks.com/cgi-bin/fields/9780385496964.html)

When asked what the word serpent, brings to mind, most Christians, Jews, and Muslims would describe it as the incarnation of the Devil or evil. The same is true of the scholarly worldthe vast majority of scholarship on the symbolism of the serpent has stressed its negative connotations, seeing it as a representation of iniquity and deceit or of the dangerous, sinful aspects of sex. James Charlesworth challenges this accepted wisdom in THE GOOD AND EVIL SERPENT and shows that its appearances as a positive symbol, in fact, far outnumber the negative. Drawing on sources ranging from the Bible and other religious texts to works of history, philosophy, and art history, to actual artifacts like statues and jewelry, Charlesworth reveals the complex and subtle meanings the serpent held for ancient civilizations. He discusses the widespread use of serpent imagery to symbolize wisdom, rejuvenation, and eternal life, and illustrates the specific ways various cultures and belief systems interpreted and depicted the serpents powers. In ancient Egypt, for instance, the image of an upright hooded cobra was commonly employed as a protective icon. In many cultures, serpents represent health and healing. The familiar caduceus of Western medicine originated with the entwined serpents carved on the staff of the legendary Greek healer Aesculapius, and Moses fashioned a serpent of brass on a pole to ward off snakes in the wilderness. Illustrated with more than one hundred black-and-white images, THE GOOD AND EVIL SERPENT is the definitive investigation into the creature that has been both revered and vilified by human societies throughout history.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness. Thank you!

[miss-ogyny.livejournal.com]

I kind of want to borrow number 5...!

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I liked it! And ended up using it in my thesis. See if your library has it. Recommended.

[bloodfever.livejournal.com]

I have 1. Actually, I have a compendium of May Gibbs stories, and it's included.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I wondered if you might!

[miss-malloreee.livejournal.com]

you got me beat. although i do have a couple books on the christian/orthodox faith, i couldnt tell you the titles or authors.

[sapphire-kittum.livejournal.com]

Nope, don't have any of those. :(