"Published to accompany the Citi exhibition 'Feminine power: the divine to the demonic' at the British Museum from 19 May to 25 September 2022"--Title page verso. Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-266) and index.
Summary:
Divine women--in many guises--have featured in every world faith from deep history until the present day, inspiring people and cultures across the world. In a cross-cultural and global approach, this book discusses Eve alongside Inanna, Radha, and Aphrodite in the context of sex and desire, while in the chapter on evil, witches and Hecate are compared with other deities, like Lamashtu and the Cihuateotl, as well as monstrous women such as Taraka, Medusa, Rangda, and Lilith. Ideas of justice and defense are explored in the figures of Athena, Sekhmet, and Kali, and the final chapter on compassion and salvation uncovers links between Isis, Mary, Tara, and Guanyin. The publication concludes with a discussion of contemporary art and modern interpretations of goddesses. Until the mid-twentieth century, the disciplines of theology, archaeology, and history were heavily dominated by male academics, resulting in the under-representation of women's experience and fewer studies on female divinity. This timely book, which is packed with fascinating insights into different cultures and beliefs, seeks to redress that balance. Exhibition: The British Museum, London, UK (19.05.-25.09.2022) / National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia (08.12.2022-27.08.2023) / La Caixa Forum Barcelona, Spain (05.10.2023-28.01.2024) / La Caixa Forum Madrid, Spain (29.02.-09.06.2024) / La Caixa Forum Sevilla, Spain (10.07.-27.10.2024) / La Caixa Forum Zaragoza, Spain (27.11.2024-16.03.2025) / La Caixa Forum Palma, Spain (22.04.-17.08.2025).
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.