The Sacred Body: Asceticism in Religion, Literature, Art, and Culture

By David Jasper

Continuing the work began in The Sacred Desert, David Jasper here turns his attention to the body, seeking a profound understanding of what it means to be in the flesh. A deeply autobiographical journey through disparate written texts (in literature, philosophy, theology and religion), art, and cinema, The Sacred Body rigorously and artfully pursues the body of the Christian tradition of the Word made flesh--a body torn and crucified, resurrected, and divinized, embracing both deep suffering and profound joy. Engaging ascetic traditions that began among fourth-century desert monastics, as well as George Herbert, Simone Weil, Meister Eckhart, James Joyce and others, David Jasper once again provides a bold, learned, and original theological exploration.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 160258141X
• ISBN13: 9781602581418
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Baylor University Press
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher