Scrutinizing desire : Hermas, metanoia, and manliness -- Thecla desiring and desired -- Aseneth and the sublime turn -- Conclusion : the narrativity of desire, restraint, and conversion
Summary
Self-restraint or self-mastery may appear to be the opposite of erotic desire. But in this nuanced, literary analysis, Diane Lipsett traces the intriguing interplay of desire and self-restraint in three ancient tales of conversion: 'The Shepherd' of Hermas, the acts of Paul and Thecla, and Joseph and Aseneth