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OverviewMatthew's Gospel reveals little about the three wealthy visitors said to have presented gifts to the infant Jesus. Yet hundreds of generations of Christians have embellished that image of the Three Kings or Magi for a myriad of social and political as well as spiritual purposes. Here Richard Trexler closely examines how this story has been interpreted and used throughout the centuries. Biblically, the Journey of the Magi presents a positive image of worldly power, depicting the faithful in progress toward their God and conveying the importance of the gift-giving laity as legitimators of their deity. With this in mind, Trexler explains in particular how Western societies have molded the story to describe and augment their own power--before the infant God and among themselves. The author demonstrates how the magi as a group functioned in Christian society.For example, magi plays, processions, and images taught people how to pray and behave in reverential contexts; they featured monarchs and heads of republics who enacted the roles of the magi to legitimate their rule; and they constrained native Americans to fall in line behind the magi to instill in them loyalty toward the European world order. However, Trexler also shows these philosopher-kings as competitive among each other, as were groups of different ages, races, and genders in society at large. Originally modeled on representations of the Roman triumphs, the magi have reached the present day as street children wearing crowns of cardboard, proving again the universality of the image for constructing, reinforcing, and even challenging a social hierarchy. Originally published in 1997. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions.The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Richard C. TrexlerPublisher: Princeton University Press Imprint: Princeton University Press Volume: 362 Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.567kg ISBN: 9780691635071ISBN 10: 0691635072 Pages: 294 Publication Date: 19 April 2016 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Language: English Table of Contents"List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction3Ch. 1The Star Arrives9Ch. 2The True Light Shines in the Darkness44Ch. 3The Pageant of the ""Two"" Kings76Ch. 4El Dorado124Ch. 5The Ancien Regime of the Magi158Ch. 6Return by Another Way187Conclusion206Notes211Bibliography255Index271"ReviewsRichard Trexler's exhaustive study of the Magi through the centuries is a sociological exploration of the diverse functions that the Magi perform in many different cultural worlds. Painstakingly, he has followed up a host of references to the Magi in art and literature, plays and folk traditions, from the early Church through Constantine to the Middle Ages and the early modern period... --Theology Richard Trexler's exhaustive study of the Magi through the centuries is a sociological exploration of the diverse functions that the Magi perform in many different cultural worlds. Painstakingly, he has followed up a host of references to the Magi in art and literature, plays and folk traditions, from the early Church through Constantine to the Middle Ages and the early modern period. . . --Theology Author InformationTab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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