The Care of the Brain in Early Christianity

Name: The Care of the Brain in Early Christianity
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SKU: 9780520387676
Price: 180.99 NZD
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By Jessica L. Wright

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Summary

The Care of the Brain in Early Christianity traces the history of the brain during late antiquity, exploring how early Christian texts transformed ancient medical understandings. Jessica L. Wright reveals how early Christians linked the brain to self-governance and vulnerability, using this to teach ascetic practices and the path to salvation. The book uncovers the brain's emergence as the seat of the individual self and shows how early Christianity integrated medical ideas rather than rejecting them.
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Format: Hardback

$180⁹⁹

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The Care of the Brain in Early Christianity

$180⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for scholars and students of early Christianity, history of medicine, theology, history of science, and psychology, as well as readers interested in the intersection of religion and medical thought in late antiquity.

Description

The Care of the Brain in Early Christianity is a history of the brain during late antiquity. Through close attention to ancient medical material and its transformation in Christian texts, Jessica Wright traces the roots of cerebral subjectivity—the identification of the individual self with the brain, a belief very much still with us today—to tensions within early Christianity over the brain's role in self-governance and its inherent vulnerability.

Examining how early Christians appropriated medical ideas, Wright tracks how they used the vulnerability of the brain as a trope for teaching ascetic practices, therapeutics of the soul, and the path to salvation. Bringing a medical lens to the religious discourse, this text demonstrates that rather than rejecting medical traditions, early Christianity developed through creatively integrating them.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

CHOICE praises it for illuminating early Christian engagements with ancient medicine and their impact on theological anthropology, making it engaging for scholars of early Christianity and medical history. Bryn Mawr Classical Review calls it a highly original and beautifully written study of the brain as a powerful, multi-functional tool. The Classical Review highlights its careful research, elegant prose, and broad importance across fields such as history of science and psychology. Reading Religion notes the book's wider implications beyond its immediate subjects.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780520387676

Publisher: University of California Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 December 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: University of California Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 544g

Pages: 310

Collections

Ancient & Classical History Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Jessica L. Wright Non-Fiction Religion & Spirituality Science & Nature

About the Author

Jessica L. Wright is an independent researcher.