The Ascetic Imperative in Culture and Criticism

The Ascetic Imperative in Culture and Criticism
ISBN-10
0226316904
ISBN-13
9780226316901
Category
Literary Criticism
Pages
344
Language
English
Published
2011-01-15
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Author
Geoffrey Galt Harpham

Description

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.

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