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Immaculate Forms
Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies
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Brief Description
“With unrivalled expertise and a wealth of classical and contemporary detail, the author weaves historical knowledge of medicine, anatomy, literature, art, and religion into a narrative that surprises, informs, excites, and frequently amuses” — Adrian Thatcher, author of Vile Bodies. Throughout history, religious scholars, medical men,...
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See moreJourney into the complex medical and religious history of women's bodies from classical Greece to the modern day
Journey into the complex medical and religious history of women's bodies from classical Greece to the modern day
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Description
“With unrivalled expertise and a wealth of classical and contemporary detail, the author weaves historical knowledge of medicine, anatomy, literature, art, and religion into a narrative that surprises, informs, excites, and frequently amuses” — Adrian Thatcher, author of Vile Bodies.
Throughout history, religious scholars, medical men, and — occasionally — women themselves have moulded thought on what 'makes' a woman. She has been called the weaker sex, the fairer sex, the purer sex, among many other monikers. Often, she has been defined simply as 'Not A Man'.
Today, we are more aware than ever of the complex relationship between our bodies and our identities. But contrary to what some may believe, what makes a woman is a question that has always been open-ended.
Immaculate Forms examines all the ways in which medicine and religion have played a gatekeeping role over women's organs. It explores how the womb was seen as both the most miraculous organ in the body and as a sewer; uncovers breasts' legacies as maternal or sexual organs — or both; probes the mystery of the disappearing hymen; and asks, did the clitoris need to be discovered at all?
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781788163873
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 05 September 2024
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Wellcome Collection
Edition: Main
Illustration: 100 black and white illustrations8PP section colour
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 42.0mm
Width: 164.0mm
Height: 236.0mm
Weight: 696g
Pages: 448
About the Author
Helen King is a historian of medicine and the body, and has published on aspects of gynaecology and obstetrics from classical Greece to the nineteenth century for over forty years. She is professor emerita of classical studies at The Open University and has held visiting posts at the universities of Vienna, Texas, Notre Dame and British Columbia. She is vice-chair of Together for the Church of England, which campaigns on a range of issues including against discrimination on the grounds of gender or sexuality.
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