Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPatricia Ranft's masterful monograph, How the Doctrine of the Incarnation Shaped Western Culture, both integrates and provides a useful overview of this plethora of material. Ranft, a historical theologian, offers the reader a comprehensive history of how the doctrine developed from the beginning of the second century to the late medieval period. . . .The scope of Raft's monograph is breathtaking. . . .Her monograph is very readable and her prose is clear. She has provided both the academic and the educated lay person a fascinating volume dealing with the tangible implications of a fundamental Christian doctrine. * Anglican and Episcopal History *
Wonderfully provocative while also well supported, Patricia Ranft provides a rich historical reflection on how the Christian understanding of incarnation helped shape Western society. Everything—from fine arts to science, from politics to personhood— is affected in ways most of us never imaged or take for granted. All who want to better understand why the West developed in many of the ways it did need to read and wrestle with Ranft’s work. This may not be the end of the discussion, but it is a great place to start one. -- Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College
Provocative and magisterial, this study argues that the doctrine of the Incarnation was foundational for Western culture. Professor Ranft’s analysis of women’s engagement with the concept is particularly rich and does much to demonstrate the intellectual vitality of the pre-Enlightenment West. -- Catherine Brown Tkacz, Bishop White Seminary at Gonzaga University
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Reason for Study Part One: The First Millennium Chapter Two: Formulation of the Doctrine of the Incarnation Chapter Three: Early Reflections on the Doctrine and Its Impact Chapter Four: The West Establishes Itself Part Two: The High Middle Ages Chapter Five: Intellectual Stirrings: Eucharistic Debates and Anselm Chapter Six: Peter Damian: New Ideas and Attitudes Chapter Seven: The Doctrine in Women’s Thoughts and Actions Chapter Eight: Individualism, Political Discourse, and Science Chapter Nine: Reconciling the Doctrine as Catalyst with Historiography Concluding Remarks
