Birth Passages offers a provocative and eloquent challenge to the nostalgia for the maternal, sometimes influenced by classic Freudian theory, which pervades many discourses. Theresa M. Krier suggests an alternative to the common characterizations of "the maternal" as a force inspiring both desire and dread, a force that must be repressed if subjectivity and culture are to be established. Instead, drawing on the work of Melanie Klein, D. W. Winnicott, and Luce Irigaray, Krier seeks to establish a new model of the relationship between mother and infant, one in which birth is seen not as the tragic ending to the prenatal union but rather as the child's claiming both distance from and proximity to this parent. Krier's insightful readings of poetic works from antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance show these texts in opposition to their cultures' insistent nostalgia for the maternal. Their authors, she maintains, recognize such longing as a symptom of a glamorous but false and disabling fantasy. In her analysis of the Song of Songs, Lucretius's De rerum natura, Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, Spenser's Amoretti and Faerie Queene, and Shakespeare's Love's Labor's Lost and The Winter's Tale, Krier details how the writings represent the intersubjective nature of birth.

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

Millions of women have felt the power of birth, and countless women long for it. But for too many, birth can seem like a purely clinical experience — something to get through as quickly as possible in order to get on with the joys of being a mother. In Made for This, author Mary Haseltine draws on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body to show that birth is an essential part of who God created women to be, body and soul. With real-life stories from many moms and practical tips — including preparing for birth, making informed choices, helping fathers embrace their role in the birth room, and encountering the work of labor — this book is an indispensable guide for navigating the physical and spiritual dimensions of pregnancy and birth. Expectant mothers will find the tools they need to approach birth as a gift, and to invite God into the experience. About the Author Mary Haseltine is a theology graduate and a certified birth doula and childbirth educator. With a passion for building a culture of life through the teachings of the Theology of the Body, she works to bring an awareness and practice of the teachings of the Church into the realm of childbirth, mothering, and pregnancy loss. She lives in Western New York with her husband and five sons. You can find more of her writing at www.betterthaneden.com.

A valuable resource for parents, counselors and educators of all faiths and philosophies. Includes creative ideas for celebrating contemporary rites of passage from birth to age 21. Over 20 rites of passage ceremonies, over 30 songs to honor life transitions, family rituals for celebrating birthday passages, guides for imparting age-appropriate rights and responsibilities in a young person's life, and ideas for parents and caregivers to reclaim and heal life passages from the past. Praise: "For such a ritually starved people as ourselves, (Living Passages) is a masterpiece. Shea is doing us an immense favor here, not just in offering us honest rituals and prayers for every aspect of our lives, but, in effect, letting us know we can do the same."(Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Franciscan Priest and author of Adam's Return) "What an encouraging and empowering book! Shea has shared her family's rich journey raising children from infancy to adulthood in a way that will inspire anyone with children to take the next step in creating meaningful celebrations and ceremonies to mark life's transitions. What a gift!" (Rahima Baldwin, Parenting Educator and Author of You Are Your Child's First Teacher)

Pregnancy and childbirth are often depicted as a time of sickness and mood swings for women followed by twelve to twenty hours of pain and hard labor. Many women have been told they can never conceive. Others have suffered the pain of conceiving and miscarrying. Have you had enough of this picture? Supernatural Childbirth is a practical...

There's no such thing as “just” a mom. Despite the routine tasks and mundane to-do lists, motherhood is anything but insignificant. God has designed motherhood as part of his greater plan to draw people to himself—instilling all women, whether called to traditional mothering or not, with an eternal purpose in nurturing others. In this book, Gloria Furman searches the Scriptures for the mission of God in motherhood. She opens our eyes to God's life-giving promises—promises intended to empower each and every woman as she makes disciples in her home, in her neighborhood, and around the world.

The first major translation of the Christian Scriptures from the originallanguages to be undertaken since the King James Version (1611), the RevisedStandard Version debuted in 1952 to simultaneous acclaim and condemnation fromAmerican Christians. Mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics lauded the newtranslation, while many evangelicals villified it.The RSV dramatically shaped the course of English Bible translation work in thelatter half of the Twentieth Century, and it remains the Bible of choice formany people. This Anniversary Edition features a clear new type setting thatreaders are certain to appreciate.