A Dangerous Parting
A Dangerous Parting

Author: NATHAN L. SHEDD

Publisher:

Published: 2021-11

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 9781481315227

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Execution by beheading is a highly symbolic act. The grisly image of the severed head evokes a particular social and cultural location, functioning as a channel of figurative discourse specific to a place and time--dissuading nonideal behavior as well as expressing and reinforcing group boundary demarcations and ideological assumptions. In short, a bodiless head serves as a discursive vehicle of communication: though silenced, it speaks. Employing social memory theory and insights from a thorough analysis of ancient ideology concerning beheading, A Dangerous Parting explores the communicative impact of the tradition of John the Baptist's decapitation in the first three centuries of the Common Era. Nathan Shedd argues that the early memory of the Immerser's death is characterized by a dangerous synchroneity. On the one hand, John's beheading, associated as it was with Jesus' crucifixion, served as the locus of destabilizing and redistributing the degradation of a victim who undergoes bodily violence; both John and Jesus were mutually vindicated as victims of somatic violence. On the other hand, as John's head was remembered in the second and third century, localized expressions of the Parting of the Ways were inscribed onto that parted head with dangerous anti-Jewish implications. Justin Martyr and Origen represent an attempt to align John's beheading and Jesus' crucifixion along a cultural schematic that asserted the destitution of non-Christ-following Jews and, simultaneously, alleged Christians' ethical, ideological, and spiritual supremacy. A Dangerous Parting uncovers interpretive possibilities of John's beheading, especially regarding the deep-rooted patterns of thinking that have animated indifference to acts of physical violence against Jews throughout history. With this work, Shedd not only pushes John the Baptist research forward to consider the impact of this figure in early expressions of Jewish and Christian distinction, but also urges scholars and students alike to contemplate the ethics of reading ancient texts.

Parting Shot
Parting Shot

Author: Jonathan Stone

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2007-04-01

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1429909277

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Local television reporter Sam Stevens is consumed by his failing marriage and, more than that, by the psychological harm his wife is doing to their ten-year-old son. As Sam covers a once-in-a-lifetime story---one that has turned Webster County into bedlam but is at last providing Sam with an opportunity for media stardom---he suddenly sees an even better chance: to solve his personal problems forever. But there’s another player thrust into the national spotlight along with Sam: It’s Sheriff Billy Wyatt, who’s in way over his head. The FBI is breathing down his neck, and the national press highlights his every bungle. He’s confronting a madman---and his own limits. Can he outsmart either? Out of elements that thriller readers have come to expect, Jonathan Stone has woven a story they assuredly will not expect. In whirlwind action and hurricane prose that echo the best of James Patterson and Harlan Coben, Stone is in top form here, delivering a tale about the unchecked power of the media and the unreasonable passions of fatherhood---with a payoff that will stun and startle, yet make perfect sense. Parting Shot is a shot of adrenaline. It’s a bullet that rotates wildly till it finds its target---deep in the reader’s imagination. It’s the latest work from a writer whose fiction Ian Rankin has hailed as “prime entertainment” and T. Jefferson Parker has called “clever, bold, and a little nasty.”

The Parting Glass
The Parting Glass

Author: Gina Marie Guadagnino

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: 2020-04-07

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1501198424

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“Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New York…a gem of a novel to be inhaled in one gulp” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) about a devoted maid whose secretive world is about to be ripped apart at the seams—a lush and evocative debut set in 19th-century New York that’s perfect for fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Emma Donoghue’s Slammerkin. By day, Mary Ballard is dutiful lady’s maid to Charlotte Walden, a wealthy and accomplished belle of New York City high society. But Charlotte would never trust Mary again if she knew the truth about her devoted servant’s past. On her nights off, Mary sheds her persona as prim and proper lady’s maid to reveal her true self—Irish exile Maire O’Farren. She finds release from her frustration in New York’s gritty underworld—in the arms of a prostitute and as drinking companion to a decidedly motley crew consisting of members of a dangerous secret society. Meanwhile, Charlotte has a secret of her own—she’s having an affair with a stable groom, unaware that her lover is actually Mary’s own brother. When the truth of both women’s double lives begins to unravel, Mary is left to face the consequences. Forced to choose between loyalty to her brother and loyalty to Charlotte, between society’s respect and true freedom, Mary finally learns that her fate lies in her hands alone. A captivating historical fiction of 19th century upstairs/downstairs New York City, The Parting Glass examines sexuality, race, and social class in ways that feel startlingly familiar and timely. A perfectly paced, romantically charged “story of the sumptuous world of the privileged and the precarious, difficult environs of the immigrant working poor is highlighted by vibrant characters and a well-paced plot, which will pull readers into the tangled tale” (Publishers Weekly).

The Parting Gift
The Parting Gift

Author: Evan Fallenberg

Publisher: Other Press, LLC

Published: 2018-09-04

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1590519442

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A “feverish and hypnotic” LGBTQ novel, combining the intoxicating atmosphere of Israel’s Mediterranean coast with the mounting dread of Patricia Highsmith and the eroticism of Edmund White (Shelf Awareness). “An unabashed tale that does not pull punches and looks at love’s underside . . . hits hard and never lets up.” —André Aciman, author of Call Me by Your Name An unnamed narrator writes a letter to an old college friend, Adam, with whom he has been staying since his abrupt return to the States from Israel. Now that the narrator is moving on to a new location, he finally reveals the events that led him to Adam’s door, set in motion by a chance encounter with Uzi, a spice merchant whose wares had developed a cult following. From his first meeting with Uzi, the narrator is overwhelmed by an animal attraction that will lead him to derail his life, withdraw from friends and extend his stay in a small town north of Tel Aviv. As he becomes increasingly entangled in Uzi’s life—and by extension the lives of Uzi’s ex-wife and children—his passion turns sinister, ultimately threatening all around him. Written in a circuitous style that keeps you guessing until the end, The Parting Gift is an erotic page-turner and a shrewd exploration of the roles men assume, or are forced to assume, as lovers, as fathers, as Israelis, as Palestinians. “Intricate and complex . . . beautifully and tenderly told.” —Imbolo Mbue, New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers

The Parting
The Parting

Author: Nykko

Publisher: Graphic Universe

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 56

ISBN-13: 0761375244

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Trapped in the dangerous world of ElseWhere, Rebecca, Noah, and Theo are possessed by the evils unleashed by the Master of Shadows. Max and Grandpa Gabe may be their only hope of breaking free. But it's a race against time. The Master's plan to destroy both ElseWhere and our own world is in Motion...and The hunt to find a new passageway home may come at a terrible cost.

Parting from Phantoms
Parting from Phantoms

Author: Christa Wolf

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1998-11

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9780226905037

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Documenting four painful years in the life of German writer Christa Wolf, this volume of essays, letters and diary entries portrays the cultural and political situation in the former German Democratic Republic. An admired writer, Wolf was reviled after the publication of her novel "What Remains"

Parting Gifts
Parting Gifts

Author: Lorraine Heath

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2010-11-09

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0062046578

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The USA Today–bestselling author delivers a poignant historical romance of a desperate woman, a lonely cowboy, and the never-ending search for hope. RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Americana RITA Finalist for Best Short Historical Booklovers’ Award for Bestselling Americana Marrying Maddie Sherwood, a woman who works in a brothel in order to survive, widower Charles Lawson hopes to provide his three children with a loving mother—until his terminal illness causes him to arrange a match between Maddie and his brother. Praise for Lorraine Heath “Lorraine Heath’s books are always magic.” —Cathy Maxwell, New York Times–bestselling author “Heath is known for her beautiful, deeply emotional romances.” —The Washington Post “A powerful writer.” —Atlanta Journal & Constitution

The 44th Legacy
The 44th Legacy

Author: H. H. Charles

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-10-07

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 1725262746

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“A leader more focused on his legacy than meeting the demands of his office will fail in both.” This review of Barack Obama’s legacy as the forty-fourth president of the United States is no hymn of praise. Those who support him and believe he has left an admirable legacy will sharply disagree, and may even say it’s motivated by prejudice and overly critical. They are, of course, entitled to their opinions. But, having voted twice for his presidency in 2008 and 2012, that is not an assessment with which H. H. Charles can agree. The impetus for undertaking this “chronicle” of Obama’s “legacy” starts with the presidency of George W. Bush, the president who is first and foremost responsible for all the bloodshed, genocide, and crimes against humanity that plagues the Middle East to this day, and which continues unabated into the indefinite future.

Christmaker
Christmaker

Author: James F. McGrath

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2024-06-11

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1467467995

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Meet the real John the Baptist. For many, John the Baptist is a footnote in the gospels—Jesus’s unkempt forerunner. But if we look closer, John emerges as a fascinating and influential religious leader in his own right. Esteemed New Testament scholar James F. McGrath turns his critical eye to overlooked details in Scripture and long-neglected sources to discover who John the Baptist really was. McGrath covers the well-known events of John’s life, from his miraculous conception to his execution at the hands of Herod Antipas. Along the way, he introduces key context about John’s social and religious world that fleshes out John’s character. John becomes a rebel son of a priest. An innovator of ritual. A mentor of Jesus. McGrath also explores John’s far-reaching impact on the history of religion. Aside from his influence on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, John is also revered by the Mandaeans, the last extant gnostic sect, who consider themselves John’s faithful disciples. This fresh look at the life of John the Baptist will fascinate any reader interested in John, Jesus, and their dynamic world.