History Commons^™

Monsters And The Moral Imagination, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

The article discusses the cultural interest in monsters in the 21st century. The author speculates on the reasons for the interest, citing anxiety after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, or the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. He notes a conference in September 2009 at the University of Oxford entitled "Monsters and the Monstrous." Cultural uses of monsters, he notes, include scolding ourselves for failure to be inclusive, the medievals' punishment for the sin of pride, or the ancient Greeks' warnings of impending calamity. He notes that monster stories can promote the individual's thought about what …

Being A Pilgrim: Art And Ritual On The Medieval Routes To Santiago, Kathleen Ashley, Marilyn Deegan

Kathleen M. Ashley

The Way of St James has been a pilgrimage event for over 1000 years as people have flocked to the site of the burial of the apostle St James the Great. Legend states that the body of James was carried by boat from Jerusalem to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where a church was erected on the site of the tomb. There is no single route for the pilgrims to follow, but there are several key paths. Kathleen Ashley and Marilyn Deegan capture the experience of the medieval pilgrim through an examination of art, historical and social contexts as well …

Ancient Antidotes To Timeless Troubles: Stoicism And The Recession, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

The article reviews the books "The Present Alone is Our Happiness," by Arnold I. Davidson and Jeannie Carlier and "A Life Worthy of the Gods: The Materialist Psychology of Epicurus" by David Konstan.

Enlightened Charity, Martha Libster, Betty Ann Mcneil, Dc

Betty Ann McNeil, D.C.