Overview
Journey into the complex medical and religious history of women's bodies from classical Greece to the modern day
''Illuminating, thoughtful and scholarly'' FINANCIAL TIMES''Does a fascinating job of exploring the history of women''s bodies'' GREG JENNER''Mind-blowing, fascinating stuff'' BBC WOMAN''S HOUR''Authoritative, rich and wide-ranging, this is an immensely impressive work of scholarship'' GUARDIANThroughout history, religious scholars, medical men and - occasionally - women themselves, have moulded thought on what ''makes'' a woman. She has been called the weaker sex, the fairer sex, the purer sex, among many other monikers. Often, she has been defined simply as ''Not A Man''. Today, we are more aware than ever of the complex relationship between our bodies and our identities. But contrary to what some may believe, what makes a woman is a question that has always been open-ended. Immaculate Forms examines all the ways in which medicine and religion have played a gatekeeping role over women''s organs. It explores how the womb was seen as both the most miraculous organ in the body and as a sewer; uncovers breasts'' legacies as maternal or sexual organs - or both; probes the mystery of the disappearing hymen, and asks, did the clitoris need to be discovered at all?
- | Author: Helen King
- | Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
- | Publication Date: Jun 05, 2025
- | Number of Pages:
- | Language:
- | Binding: Paperback / softback
- | ISBN-13: 9781788163880
- | ISBN-10: 1788163885
