Heavenly Bodies

Presents a collection of poems that looks at pain, illness, the body's rebellions, and betrayals.

Richard Dyer's classic study of movie stars and stardom has been updated, with a new introduction by the author discussing the rise of celebrity culture and developments in the study of stars since publication of the first edition in 1986. Dyer's illuminating study is based around case studies of three major stars: Marilyn Monroe, Paul Robeson and Judy Garland. He draws on a wide range of sources, including the films in which each star appeared, to illustrate how each star's persona was constructed, and goes on to examine each within the context of particular issues in fan culture and stardom. Students of film and cultural studies will find this an invaluable part of there course reading.

Deep and wide study of 2,000 years of Christian thought on the human body Does Christianity scorn our bodies? Friedrich Nietzsche thought so, and many others since him have thought the same. Ola Sigurdson contends, to the contrary, that Christianity — understood properly — in fact affirms human embodiment. Presenting his constructive contributions to theology in relation to both historical and contemporary conceptions of the body, Sigurdson begins by investigating the anthropological implications of the doctrine of the incarnation. He then delves into the concept of the gaze and discusses a specifically Christian "gaze of faith" that focuses on God embodied in Jesus. Finally, he weaves these strands into a contemporary Christian theology of embodiment. Sigurdson's profound engagement with the whole history of Christian life and thought not only elucidates the spectrum of Christian perspectives on the body but also models a way of thinking historically and systematically that other theologians will find stimulating and challenging.

Since antiquity, religious beliefs and practices have inspired many of the world’s greatest works of art. These masterworks have, in turn, fueled the imaginations of fashion designers in the 20th and 21st centuries, yielding some of the most innovative creations in the history of fashion. Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination explores fashion’s complex and often controversial relationship with Catholicism by examining the role of spirituality and religion in contemporary culture. This two-volume publication connects significant religious art and artifacts to their sartorial expressions. One volume features images of rarely seen objects from the Vatican —ecclesiastical garments and accessories—while the other focuses on fashions by designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Madame Grès, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Jeanne Lanvin, Claire McCardell, Thierry Mugler, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Gianni Versace. Essays by art historians and leading religious authorities provide perspective on how dress manifests—or subverts—Catholic values and ideology.

"Heavenly bodies is the first book in English dedicated to an analysis of La estrella de Sevilla (The Star of Seville) since the 1930s when Sturgis A. Leavitt set out to prove that this Spanish Golden Age play was written by Andres de Claramonte. In this reevaluation of La estrella de Sevilla, the question of authorship is once again discussed, but it is not the main focus of this collection of essays. The eighteen essayists in this book set out to reexamine the play in order to understand the fascination that this puzzling and problematic work has exerted over critics, theatergoers, and readers over the last three and a half centuries." "Throughout La estrella de Sevilla, its eponymous heroine serves as an object of other characters' perceptions, constructions, and manipulations. King Sancho, his advisor Don Arias, Sancho Ortiz, and even Estrella's brother Busto Tabera repeatedly define her from their own perspectives and on their own terms. In her material aspect, Estrella is Sancho's subject, a human inhabitant of Castile. Celestially speaking, the King first identifies Estrella with Saturn, then later in the play refers to her instead as a fixed star. Thus, in the eyes of those who attempt to define her, Estrella Tabera occupies multiple realms: she partakes of generation and corruption in the sublunary spheres, but at the same time she is assigned to both the seventh and eight ptolemaic spheres." "The contributors to this volume both perceive and fashion multiple contexts for La estrella de Sevilla, echoing the multiplicity of realms in which she abides within the text. The essays range from studies of how the play was performed to analyses of specific figures and themes. The many approaches utilized, including theories by Derrida, Foucault, Iser, Kermode, Lacan, Ong, and Said, serve to point to the richness and complexity of this comedia from the Spanish Golden Age."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Who couldn't use an angel on their side? These three couples are determined, come hell or high water, to knock on heaven's door. Don't miss out on your chance to let these sexy supernatural heroes take you to paradise: An Angel Fallen: Mark Mayer gives up being an angel to chase after his would-be beloved, a werewolf who's gone feral because she won't settle with a mate. He's certain that trading his halo and wings for a mortal life with Sweetie is worth it--but convincing this stubborn werewolf that together they can find heaven on earth just might take a Christmas miracle. Daman's Angel: When an angel rescues Daman Quade from dying by his own hand, it's just his luck that she doesn't remember who she is. Solving the mystery leads to a growing attraction between these misfits until they discover she must return to the otherworlds via a flesh-and-blood sacrifice in three days or be doomed to walk the earth until the end of time. Will Daman find the courage to offer his own revitalized life to save hers? Of Alliance and Rebellion: A loyal soldier of the Garden of Eden, Anahita is faced with a daunting mission: to slay the three imprisoned immortals who ate from the Tree of Eternal Life. But once the beautiful angel lays eyes on prisoner Max Wright, her spirit wars with the compulsions to both kill and protect him. Sensuality Level: Sensual