Habit : A History Of The Clothing Of The Catholic Nuns
$19.00
Curiosity about nuns and their distinctive clothing is almost as old as Catholicism itself. The habit intrigues the religious and the nonreligious alike, from medieval maidens to contemporary schoolboys, to feminists and other social critics. The first book to explore the symbolism of this attire, The Habit presents a visual gallery of the diverse forms of religious clothing and explains the principles and traditions that inspired them. More than just an eye-opening study of the symbolic significance of starched wimples, dark dresses, and flowing veils, The Habit is an incisive, engaging portrait of the roles nuns have and do play in the Catholic Church and in ministering to the needs of society.
From the clothing seen in an eleventh-century monastery to the garb worn by nuns on picket lines during the 1960s, habits have always been designed to convey a specific image or ideal. The habits of the Benedictines and the Dominicans, for example, were specifically created to distinguish women who consecrated their lives to God; other habits reflected the sisters’ desire to blend in among the people they served. The brown Carmelite habit was rarely seen outside the monastery wall, while the Flying Nun turned the white winged cornette of the Daughters of Charity into a universally recognized icon. And when many religious abandoned habits in the 1960s and ’70s, it stirred a debate that continues today.
Drawing on archival research and personal interviews with nuns all over the United States, Elizabeth Kuhns examines some of the gender and identity issues behind the controversy and brings to light the paradoxes the habit represents. For some, it epitomizes oppression and obsolescence; for others, it embodies the ultimate beauty and dignity of the vocation.
Complete with extraordinary photographs, including images of the nineteenth century nuns’ silk bonnets to the simple gray dresses of the Sisters of Social Service, this evocative narrative explores the timeless symbolism of the habit and traces its evolution as a visual reflection of the changes in society.
in stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
SKU (ISBN): 9780385505895
ISBN10: 0385505892
Elizabeth Kuhns
Binding: Trade Paper
Published: April 2005
Publisher: Random House Inc.
Print On Demand Product
Related products
-
Essential Catholic Handbook (Revised)
$17.99Add to cartThis invaluable book for those who want a topical summary of “what it means to be Catholic,” is now even more useful. This expanded edition includes a new Introduction, the current list of holy days of obligation observed in the United States, the Prayer for Vocations preferred by Pope John Paul II, a new section on how to prepare for a sick call, an index, and much more.
An important reference work for any interested Catholic, especially those involved in church ministry.Includes a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
-
Prayer In The Digital Age
$16.99Add to cartThe digital age is an age of information overload. In this noisy, technology-driven world, full of important news and urgent messages, spending silent time in prayer can seem impossible.
In his second book, Matt Swaim brings to light the obstacles to prayer inherent in our digitally-connected culture and explores both the challenges and benefits of living a Christian life in the 21st century. Drawing on the spiritual wisdom of such masters as St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Therese of Lisieux, and Venerable Pope John Paul II, Swaim provides practical suggestions for learning how to “unplug” and incorporate prayer into one’s daily life.
Delve into how technology truly affects our faith:
In a culture suffering from information overload, what’s the difference between knowing facts about God and actually knowing God?
How does our desire to be entertained interfere with knowing God as He really is, rather than just as we want to perceive Him?
What are the distinctions between employing media and information as tools to aid evangelization and spiritual growth while avoiding a purely consumer approach to the faith?
How can information overload deaden our ability to listen? -
Great Divorce
$17.99Add to cartC.S. Lewis takes us on a profound journey through both heaven and hell in this engaging allegorical tale. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis introduces us to supernatural beings who will change the way we think about good and evil. In The Great Divorce C.S. Lewis again employs his formidable talent for fable and allegory. The writer, in a dream, finds himself in a bus which travels between Hell and Heaven. This is the starting point for an extraordinary meditation upon good and evil which takes issue with William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
-
Lambs Supper : The Mass As Heaven On Earth
$25.00Add to cartBestselling author Scott Hahn sheds new light on the Mass, offering readers a deeper appreciation of the most familiar of Catholic rituals .
Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass as “Heaven on Earth,” explaining that what “we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy.”
The Lamb’s Supper reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: The early Christians’ key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testament Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its mystic visions of heaven, and its end-of-time prophecies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist.Beautifully written, in clear direct language, bestselling Catholic author Scott Hahn’s new book will help readers see the Mass with new eyes, pray the liturgy with a renewed heart, and enter into the Mass more fully, enthusiastically, intelligently, and powerfully than ever before.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.