Naturism and Christianity
Author: Karen Gorham
Publisher:
Published: 2000
Total Pages: 24
ISBN-13: 9781851744381
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Nudity and Christianity
Author: Jim C. Cunningham
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2006-12-29
Total Pages: 600
ISBN-13: 146345094X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKJim C. Cunningham considers his latest 588-page work, Nudity & Christianity, to be his "magnum opus." It represents the fruit of thirty years of research, meditation, discussion and many personal experiences. Though much of the material is new, Jim has included the best of his twenty-three years of naturist publishing. Although all of his previous publications (see naturistlife.com) were highly photographic, this latest is 100% textual, in hopes of reaching those who might be intimidated even by tasteful graphics. The insightful ideas of dozens of authors from various denominations are represented here, from Pope John Paul II to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis to Kahlil Gibran and even Mark Twain. The purpose of this book is to encourage readers to probe the reasons for wearing clothes. Today, Western convention tends to assume that "nude is lewd," but it was not always that way. For half the Church's history, catechumens--men, women, boys and girls, were routinely baptized together, nude, by full immersion. Today, we recoil at learning this, but how have cultural attitudes toward the body changed to effect this reaction? Jim asks those hard questions about the body and the meaning of true modesty, and exhorts Christians to lead the way in asserting God's definition of the body, rather than Playboy's. Instead of allowing pornographers to define the body for us, and then create a virtue of modesty to fit that false definition, Christians should assert God's definition as found in Scripture and Church Tradition. When we view the body as Jesus did, our definition of modesty becomes radically different from what is conventionally presumed. Two highly detailed indices (Scriptural and Topical) make this an excellent reference book. Readers are exhorted to live what they learn. Jim proposes attending "Theology of the Body Retreats." For more information go to JIMCCUNNINGHAM.COM.
A Brief History of Nakedness
Author: Philip Carr-Gomm
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 2012-01-01
Total Pages: 290
ISBN-13: 1861897294
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAs one common story goes, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, had no idea that there was any shame in their lack of clothes; they were perfectly confident in their birthday suits among the animals of the Garden of Eden. All was well until that day when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and went scrambling for fig leaves to cover their bodies. Since then, lucrative businesses have arisen to provide many stylish ways to cover our nakedness, for the naked human body now evokes powerful and often contradictory ideas—it thrills and revolts us, signifies innocence and sexual experience, and often marks the difference between nature and society. In A Brief History of Nakedness psychologist Philip Carr-Gomm traces our inescapable preoccupation with nudity. Rather than studying the history of the nude in art or detailing the ways in which the naked body has been denigrated in the media, A Brief History of Nakedness reveals the ways in which religious teachers, politicians, protesters, and cultural icons have used nudity to enlighten or empower themselves as well as entertain us. Among his many examples, Carr-Gomm discusses how advertisers and the media employ images of bare skin—or even simply the word “naked”—to garner our attention, how mystics have used nudity to get closer to God, and how political protesters have discovered that baring all is one of the most effective ways to gain publicity for their cause. Carr-Gomm investigates how this use of something as natural as nakedness actually gets under our skin and evokes complicated and complex emotional responses. From the naked sages of India to modern-day witches and Christian nudists, from Lady Godiva to Lady Gaga, A Brief History of Nakedness surveys the touching, sometimes tragic and often bizarre story of our relationships with our naked bodies.
Christian Body
Author: Aaron Frost
Publisher:
Published: 2018-06-09
Total Pages: 284
ISBN-13: 9781983121746
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThe Bible has plenty to say about the human body and clothing in ancient times, but modern translations and socially conditioned assumptions have drifted significantly away from ancient cultures and the intent of the earliest texts. Do you you know what the Bible really says in the original Greek and Hebrew, or have you trusted what you hear? Perhaps it is time to make a detailed exposition of what the Bible has to say about clothing and nakedness for a believer's life. In these pages, journey with me through a comprehensive study of nearly every passage relating directly to the topic so that we can definitively establish a clear, Biblical position directly from the Bible's words while removing subjective culture and fallible bias as much as we possibly can. Packed with detailed references, archeological illustrations, and historical insights, this painstaking Bible study book will illuminate your readings of misunderstood and mistranslated passages, exposing generations of false interpretation and shameful teachings for a fresh look at a beautiful topic.
Augustine and the Environment
Author: John Doody
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2016-09-30
Total Pages: 225
ISBN-13: 1498541917
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis volume brings into dialogue the ancient wisdom of Augustine of Hippo, a bishop of the early Christian Church of the fourth and fifth centuries, with contemporary theologians and ethicists on the topic of the environment and humanity’s place in and responsibility to it. The contributors vary widely in their estimation of how sustained and useful such a dialogue might be, from outright dismissal of the church father to extended speculation with him and in his spirit. Their conclusions impact our views of God and both human and non-human creation. Such engagement should influence any future discussion of how Christianity and environmentalism can interact or influence one another.
Au Naturel
Author: Stephen L. Harp
Publisher: LSU Press
Published: 2014-05-12
Total Pages: 409
ISBN-13: 0807155276
DOWNLOAD EBOOKEach year in France approximately 1.5 million people practice naturisme or "naturism," an activity more commonly referred to as "nudism." Because of France's unique tolerance for public nudity, the country also hosts hundreds of thousands of nudists from other European nations, an influx that has contributed to the most extensive infrastructure for nude tourism in the world. In Au Naturel, historian Stephen L. Harp explores how the evolution of European tourism encouraged public nudity in France, connecting this cultural shift with important changes in both individual behaviors and collective understandings of the body, morality, and sexuality. Harp's study, the first in-depth historical analysis of nudism in France, challenges widespread assumptions that "sexual liberation" freed people from "repression," a process ostensibly reflected in the growing number of people practicing public nudity. Instead, he contends, naturism gained social acceptance because of the bodily control required to participate in it. New social codes emerged governing appropriate nudist behavior, including where one might look, how to avoid sexual excitation, what to wear when cold, and whether even the most modest displays of affection -- -including hand-holding and pecks on the cheek -- were permissible between couples. Beginning his study in 1927 -- when naturist doctors first advocated nudism in France as part of "air, water, and sun cures" -- Harp focuses on the country's three earliest and largest nudist centers: the Île du Levant in the Var, Montalivet in the Gironde, and the Cap d'Agde in Hérault. These places emerged as thriving tourist destinations, Harp shows, because the municipalities -- by paradoxically reinterpreting inde-cency as a way to foster European tourism to France -- worked to make public nudity more acceptable. Using the French naturist movement as a lens for examining the evolving notions of the body and sexuality in twentieth-century Europe, Harp reveals how local practices served as agents of national change.
The History of Apologetics
Author: Zondervan,
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Published: 2020-06-16
Total Pages: 848
ISBN-13: 0310559553
DOWNLOAD EBOOKECPA Christian Book Award 2021 Finalist: Biography & Memoir Explore Apologetics through the Lives of History's Great Apologists The History of Apologetics follows the great apologists in the history of the church to understand how they approached the task of apologetics in their own cultural and theological context. Each chapter looks at the life of a well-known apologist from history, unpacks their methodology, and details how they approached the task of defending the faith. By better understanding how apologetics has been done, readers will be better able to grasp the contextualized nature of apologetics and apply those insights to today's context. The History of Apologetics covers forty-four apologists including: Part One: Patristic Apologists Part Two: Medieval Apologists Part Three: Early Modern Apologists Part Four: 19th C. Apologists Part Five: 20th C. American Apologists Part Six: 20th C. European Apologists Part Seven: Contemporary Apologists
Discovering God
Author: Rodney Stark
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2009-03-17
Total Pages: 605
ISBN-13: 006174333X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAn award-winning sociologist’s “fascinating and excellent” history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age (Newsweek). In Discovering God, Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of religions around the world—from the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; and the great “Axial Age” of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha, to the modern Christian missions and the global spread of Islam. He argues for a free-market theory of religion and for the controversial thesis that under the best, unimpeded conditions, the true, most authentic religions will survive and thrive. Many modern biologists and psychologists claim that religion is a primitive survival mechanism that should have been discarded as humans evolved—that in modern societies, faith is a misleading crutch and an impediment to reason. Stark responds to this position, arguing that it is our capacity to understand God that has evolved—that humans now know much more about God than they did in ancient times. Winner of the 2008 Christianity Today Award of Merit in Theology/Ethics
How to Take Your Clothes Off
Author: Matthew McDermott
Publisher: WriteNude Publishing
Published: 2021-06-05
Total Pages: 48
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKMaybe no one knows it yet—and maybe you’re not sure yourself—but you’re a nudist. You feel good when you’re not wearing anything. It’s not a sexual thing. It’s a physical thing: you’re more comfortable without clothes on. And maybe it’s an emotional or spiritual thing too: you feel better, more at peace when you’re not wearing anything. If this is where you are, and you’re wondering what to do about that, then this book is for you. It's a guide to getting into nudism for anyone who is curious about how to go about it. The whole nudist experience is demystified here. You'll learn about all aspects of the nudist lifestyle, including: - How and why others practice nudism - Finding opportunities to be nude - Tips for attending nudist resorts and beaches - Finding nudist groups in your area - Making nudism a part of your otherwise clothed life If you've ever been curious about nudism, or even just been compelled by the feeling of being totally free of clothes, this book is your best starting point. Read it today, and find your own way into this wonderful, healthy, and wholesome lifestyle.
Naked Britain
Author: Amelia Allen
Publisher:
Published: 2017-11
Total Pages: 112
ISBN-13: 9783868288193
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFashion photographer Amelia Allen works in an industry obsessed with body image, one that focuses on the most flattering way of dressing oneself. It was, therefore, an unusual and refreshing step for her to move into a world where the body is completely liberated, devoid of styling and stripped of fabric and fashion. In the naturist world, people connect as equals, regardless of appearance, wealth, occupation or status. Over two years Amelia inhabited this world to produce her sociological documentary. By stripping off and immersing herself in 21st century naturism, Amelia discovered liberty, empowerment and the sense of fun that naturists embrace. Her images capture a raw beauty and infectious joy.
