Pennsylvania Books

There is a bit of a paradox in Kierkegaard studies in the English speaking world: there has been a vast number of studies on Kierkegaard produced in English, but the overwhelming majority has proven to be simply awful. I would argue that no major intellectual figure of the past few hundred years has been subjected to so few good books and yet such a deluge of bad ones. Kierkegaard himself was worried about his fate at the hands of "the professors," but the non-professors have hardly been any better writing about him (see the essays by John Updike on Kierkegaard if I am doubted). There have been a few good books, but only a few. Three that leap to mind are Bruce Kirmmse's KIERKEGAARD IN GOLDEN AGE DENMARK, Anthony Rudd's KIERKEGAARD AND THE LIMITS OF THE ETHICAL, and David Gouwen's KIERKEGAARD AS A RELIGIOUS THINKER.

Luckily, Louis Mackey's KIERKEGAARD: A KIND OF POET is another superb book, despite his central thesis being both uninteresting and unhelpful in reading Kierkegaard. As the title implies, Mackey views Kierkegaard as being fundamentally a poet, a notion that really does very little work in enlightening any would-be or actual reader of Kierkegaard. And in reading the book, very little light is shed on Kierkegaard by this notion of his being a poet. So given the paucity of the central interpretative tool in Mackey's book, why do I insist that it is a great book? Because at every other point Mackey possesses a profound and acute understanding of Kierkegaard's work. It is as if Mackey really understood Kierkegaard, but couldn't be content with a superb analysis of his work, but had to bring in some extraneous gimmick to give the book more interest.

Kierkegaard's works can largely be divided into his Pseudonymous Authorship (what Kierkegaard himself calls "My Authorship" and his later works that are sometimes called, following a suggestion by Robert L. Perkins, his Second Literature. The Second Literature is marked by Kierkegaard's writing his works usually in his own name, by the subject matter almost always being explicitly religious in nature, and in often having social or political overtones as well. The Pseudonymous literature comprises almost all of Kierkegaard's best-known works. These books were all written using Pseudonyms. These Pseudonymous authors would not necessarily (and in fact usually did not) represent Kierkegaard's own point of view. Some of these works dealt with aesthetical themes, some with ethics, and some with religious themes. The fundamental goal in these works was to demonstrate the shortcomings in the lives of individuals who lived lives determined by aesthetic or ethical principles, and the possibility of a religious existence that would go beyond these and yet fulfill them. Mackey writes almost exclusively about this Pseudonymous literature in this book. This is, in fact, the finest introduction to the Pseudonymous literature that exists in English.

A word of warning: Mackey has published a second book on Kierkegaard, POINTS OF VIEW: READINGS OF KIERKEGAARD. There are a couple of good essays in this book, mainly ones written about the time or before he wrote KIERKEGAARD: A KIND OF POET. Tragically, however, the further Mackey went in his career as a Kierkegaard scholar, the more enamored of postmodernist criticism he became, and he grew less and less intelligible as he went on. I find his second collection to be of virtually no interest at all. But that doesn't mitigate the tremendous value of the earlier book.

Movie fans ought to note that Mackey has managed a small but notable appearance in motion pictures. University of Texas (where Mackey taught) graduate student Richard Linklater (most recently the director of box office smash THE SCHOOL OF ROCK) has cast Mackey two of his films. In his breakout film SLACKER, Linklater cast Mackey in the role of The Old Anarchist (for those who have seen the film, the older man who caught a young person attempting to rob his house, but who he engages in conversation, telling him about his days in the Spanish Civil War, though his granddaughter later explains that he never did). And in the magnificent animated film WAKING LIFE, Linklater uses Mackey to more or less play himself for a small bit.

What a great book. It's full of pictures of area's in King Of Prussia that will boggle your mind. To see what used to be and compare it to what it is now in the township is wild. Though I thought a place or two was left out, Mr. Morrison did a great job with the book. A must have if you enjoy local history.

Ably translated from the original Italian by R. Burr Litchfield (Professor of History, Brown University), The King's Body: Sacred Rituals Of Power In Medieval And Early Modern Europe by Sergio Bertelli (Professor of History, University of Florence) presents an amazing and scholarly focus on a critical piece of European history: the nature and meaning of the sacred rituals associated with kingship. From the Vandal kings of Spain to the long succession of kings in England and France, The King's Body explores the multiple significance of rituals from birth to crowning and death. Very highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in the history of the European monarchies, the black-and-white illustrations of classical artwork enhance this scholarly and serious historical analysis.

A fascinating and little-known story of the Frenchman Charles Mayrena, who enters Vietnam in the French colonial period and proclaims himself 'king' of the Sedang Tribe in central Vietnam. It's the old story of the westerner trying to make his fortune in an Asian culture, the n'er-do-well bum who gets caught up in the fantasies of his own self-styled importance. Of particular interest is the timing of the publication of this book in comparison to the publication of "Bright Shining Lie." Hickey's book came first, but should have gotten as much attention as "Lie." Hickey is a noted and much published ethnologist. Here he spins a tale of which movies are made, as the adventurer Mayrena gets deeper and deeper into political trouble in a hostile environment, and ends up dying of a suspicious snake-bite in Indonesia. It's all true. A very good read for the serious Vietnam history collector.

Raymond Van Dam by means of patristics has taken Cappadocia for his own with this excellent history. From the beginning Van Dam cites the need for scholars of early Christain fathers to push their knowledge and utility beyond the theological realm and into the arena of social history. In most of the chapters, Van Dam is able to narrate in impressive detail the battle of cultures and creeds in this province during the fourth century. He also reveals information on the quality of life of the Cappadocian lower classes by reading closely the petitions of Basil and Gregory of Nyssa. Each chapter does not always find fluid integration in the next, but the book as a whole expresses marvellous insight and understanding of the life in a border province, the fortification of a Christian ethical world, and the complex relations of Christian fathers with Roman emperors sharing varying degrees of Greek Culture. This volume stands as the first of three in what seems to be an refined and thoughtful historical enterprise.

Dr. Penn's work here truly breaks new ground. His observations on ritual and christinaity have immediate implications for today's world and the relationships that we build under the aegis of modern day faith communities. I wouldn't be surprised to see some radical changes throughout the field stemming from the work presented in "Kissing Christians".

Kitchen Culture in America provides a review of popular representations of food, gender and race and uses everything from television to ads and magazines to examine how women's roles have been shaped by the practice of consuming and making meals. From 1895 to 1970, this provides examples which argue that 'kitchen culture' instructs women in acceptable social behavior patterns.

I recently used this text in a university class; my students and I value this work a great deal. It's great to see a medievalist criticize Aries appropriately, without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of childhood.

John C. Unkovic sure is an awesome writer!!! He is great!!! Five stars!!! A++++

Professor Cazelles' commentary and translations of these hagiographic romances bring to life a part of literary history ignored, for the most part, until quite recently. Her 70+ page commentary at the beginning of the book helps introduce the topic of sanctity to her readers, and the various motifs of female sanctity in the 13th century are examined with reference to various hagiographic tales within and without the text. Comparison is drawn with male sanctity throughout the work, and I feel that I not only learned about "The Lady As Saint" from the book, but also got a fairly firm grounding in "the man as saint."

Cazelles also compares the saintly lady to the lady as portrayed in Courtly romance. This comparrison brings to light some surprising trends and similairities, and is explored in fascinating depth in the work.

Cazelles translations are excellent. When more than one extant poem exists commemorating a saint's life, Cazelles provides a verse translation of the copy thought to be most widely known during the period, and she provides prose translations of each of the other forms of the poem. Her translations are vivid and lively, and make these violent, exciting lives even more enjoyable to read. If one is interested in studying the Middle Ages, this book is a must read. It is well researched, well written, and illuminates an important aspect of Medieval culture.