Author: Francis Oakley File Type: pdf From despots to powerless figureheads, and from the Neolithic era to the present, this book traces the history of kingship around the world and the tenacity of its connection with the sacred.Considers the many forms that kingship took during this period, including the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt the emperors of Japan the Maya rulers of Mesoamerica the medieval popes and emperors and the English and French monarchs of early modern Europe Explores the panoply of governing roles that kingship involved administrative, military, judicial, economic, religious and symbolic but focussing on its connection with the sacred. Draws on the insights of cultural anthropology and comparative religion, as well as the on the resources provided by historians.

Author: Al-Qadi Al-Qudai File Type: pdf A Treasury of Virtuesis a collection of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40H661AD), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, first Shia Imam and fourth Sunni Caliph. Ali was an acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a renowned sage of Islamic wisdom. Through proverbs and aphorisms, sermons and speeches, prayers and supplications, epistles and contracts, testimonials and homilies, verse and dialogues, it provides instruction on how to be a decent human being. And it combines these ethical teachings with religious exhortations and preparation for eternal life in the hereafter. Moreover, the lessons of the text are clothed in the cadenced parallelisms of a consummate oral culture, and the vivid metaphors of the Arabian desert. Appealing to the addressees higher nature, they also beguile his aesthetic sensibilities, integrating art and edification in an exquisite package of verbal ingenuity. Of the many compilations of Alis words,A Treasury of Virtuesarguably possesses the broadest compass of genres, and the largest variety of themes. The shorter One Hundred Proverbs is also a compilation of Alis words. Attributed to al-Jahiz (the father of Arabic prose), it has a celebrity status in its own category and its pithy one-liners are quotable quotes of the finest order. This volume presents the first English translation of both these important texts, with a new critical edition based on several original manuscripts. **Review Powerful and compelling in its portrayal of the vicissitudes of fate and the inevitability of death and decay. Many of the translated aphorisms and wise sayings are equally powerful... Qutbuddins volume is well written and well executeda valuable addition to any scholars library.-Emily Selove, University of Manchester Tahera Qutbuddins edition proves to be definitive since, unlike the previous versions, she relies on all accessible manuscript and published editions. Qutbuddin also clearly demonstrated mastery and understanding of the difficult language of ?Alis prose and poetry, leading to a smooth presentation of the Arabic texts and a first-rate English translation Tahera Qutbuddin and the editorial team of the Library of Arabic Literature deserve to be congratulated for producing this exemplary volume.-Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies The quality of the translation is superior and the choice of maxims is well advised, as they constitute a major category of Arabic (and also medieval European) literature, a genre with which modernreaders are not acquainted. This translation will introduce them to it.-Beatrice Gruendler, Yale University Tahera Qutbuddin, associate professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago, translates a collection by the Fatimid Shafii judge al-Qudai of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali is an acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom. While several versions of the text exist, Qutbuddin is primarily using the Istanbul text.-Islamic Horizons About the Author Al-Qadi al-Qudai (d. 454 H1062 AD) was a Sunni jurist, a scholar of hadith and history, and a senior government official of the Fatimid dynasty in Cairo. Tahera Qutbuddin is Associate Professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago. She is the author of Al-Muayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Dawa Poetry A Case of Commitment in Classical Arabic Literature. A Treasury of Virtuesis a collection of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40H661AD), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, first Shia Imam and fourth Sunni Caliph. Ali was an acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a renowned sage of Islamic wisdom. Through proverbs and aphorisms, sermons and speeches, prayers and supplications, epistles and contracts, testimonials and homilies, verse and dialogues, it provides instruction on how to be a decent human being. And it combines these ethical teachings with religious exhortations and preparation for eternal life in the hereafter. Moreover, the lessons of the text are clothed in the cadenced parallelisms of a consummate oral culture, and the vivid metaphors of the Arabian desert. Appealing to the addressees higher nature, they also beguile his aesthetic sensibilities, integrating art and edification in an exquisite package of verbal ingenuity.Of the many compilations of Alis words,A Treasury of Virtuesarguably possesses the broadest compass of genres, and the largest variety of themes. The shorter One Hundred Proverbs is also a compilation of Alis words. Attributed to al-Jahiz (the father of Arabic prose), it has a celebrity status in its own category and its pithy one-liners are quotable quotes of the finest order. This volume presents the first English translation of both these important texts, with a new critical edition based on several original manuscripts.**

Author: Sarah Shaver Hughes File Type: pdf Presenting selected histories in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, this work discusses political and economic issues marriage practices, motherhood and enslavement and religious beliefs and spiritual development. Famous women, including Hatshepsut, Hortensia, Aisha, Hildegard of Bingen and Sei Shonangan, are discussed as well as lesser known and anonymous women. Both primary and secondary source readings are included. **About the Author Shippensburg University Hampton University Reilly is Professor of History at Raritan Valley College.

Author: Laura Mulvey File Type: pdf Death 24x a Second is a fascinating exploration of the role new media technologies play in our experience of film. Addressing some of the key questions of film theory, spectatorship, and narrative, Laura Mulvey here argues that such technologies, including home DVD players, have fundamentally altered our relationship to the movies. According to Mulvey, new media technologies give viewers the ability to control both image and story, so that movies meant to be seen collectively and followed in a linear fashion may be manipulated to contain unexpected and even unintended pleasures. The individual frame, the projected films best-kept secret, can now be revealed by anyone who hits pause. Easy access to repetition, slow motion, and the freeze-frame, Mulvey argues, may shift the spectators pleasure to a fetishistic rather than a voyeuristic investment in film. By exploring how technology can give new life to old cinema, Death 24x a Second offers an original reevaluation of films history and its historical usefulness.