The Trial of Woman examines the impact of the nineteenth-century 'Occult Revival' on the Victorian Women's Movement; both in the lives of individual women and in the literature surrounding 'the Woman Question'. The book explores the Victorian Myth of Occult Womanhood and argues that the notion of female occult power was deeply influenced by the advent of Mesmerism; Spiritualism and Theosophy. This myth was itself a determining factor in women's struggle for legal and political rights.
#2317396 in Books 2006-08-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.25 x 6.50l; 1.46 #File Name: 0316741566416 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Seems a decent historical additionBy Brad4d-"Change" seems a reasonably good historical summary of Buddhism's entry into the West. The book begins at the dawn of Buddhist thought with speculation that Greek and Christian thought may have interacted with early Buddhism. It continues to early recorded contacts during the Age of Exploration (when a world-wide xenophobia misrepresented Buddhism as negativist); then outlines the developing appreciation of Buddhism's positive elements in the mid-19th Century; and concludes with the 20th Century (as Buddhism evolved into a sophisticated; specifically Western form).-I learned much and found it a welcome addition. "Change" gives a well-written foundation for understanding how Buddhism has interacted with its Western hosts; and there is considerable research here. I'm not an expert historian; but based on some cross-checking; it does seem accurate; although the author is not a historian (that's OK; neither am I) and there will be the inevitable controversies here and there. The Bibliography is extensive; although many direct references are from secondary sources. The coverage of late 20th Century Buddhism reflects the author's apparent fascination with Beat Generation Buddhism; and he overemphasizes this colorful countercultural aspect at the expense of more genuine practices. But hey; this adds some spice to the book and there are plenty of other excellent sources on recent Western Buddhism. The author also refrains from discussing Buddhism's often-challenging philosophy or psychology -- this would stray from the range of his objective familiarity (and the book's topic) and besides; many good resources already exist.-"Change" gave a good understanding of Buddhist historical interactions with the West (especially prior to the mid-20th Century) and may be a nice addition to your understanding of contemplative; psychological; and philosophical interactions. I found it well worth the time it took to read; and hope you will too.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A subtle; non-partisan tale of cultures in transformationBy Brian GriffithSutin gives a remarkably full overview in the interaction of Buddhism and Western civilization. It's a kind of history writing that takes real literary sensitivity. To pull this off; Sutin has to attain helpful insight into history of nations; art; literature; theology; philosophy and spiritual practice. For quite a while he catalogues the sporadic encounters between Westerners and Buddhists; detailing the almost stupefying misunderstanding that prevailed down to the late 1800s. Then we have a rising chorus of personal adventures and biographical sketches; showing those who popularized Buddhism in the West as teachers; charlatans; scholars; novelists; or history-changing activists. Even a partial role call of the people involved looks momentous for world history: Nyogen Senzaki; D.T. Suzuki; Helena Blavatsky; Paul Carus; Lafcadio Hearn; William James; Alexandra David-Neel; Okakura Kakuzo; Friedrich Max Muller; Christmas Humphries; Hermann Hesse; Nikos Kazantzakis; Alan Watts; T. Lobsang Rampa; Carl Jung; Thomas Merton; Allan Ginsberg; Jack Kerouac; Thich Nhat Hahn; Gary Snyder; E.F. Schumacher; Chogyam Trungpa; Rita Gross; Jack Kornfeld; Geshe Wangyal; Maureen Stuart; Richard Baker; Pema Chodron; Joanna Macy and the 14th Dalai Lama. The story is huge; and it's told by a historian with a keen eye for turns in popular culture.15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating but flawedBy daruma-gThis is a fascinating journey through the history of Buddhism's ever-increasing interaction with the western world. The first chapter was a little tedious; but then things picked up nicely; and often my attention was riveted. But as I neared the end of the book; my enthusiasm was dampened. When I was a little disturbed by Sutin's apparent justification of the alcoholism and sexually abusive behavior of Chogyam Trungpa; I reminded myself that Trungpa remains controversial; and that this is; after all; a book of history. But the section on Shin; which includes the stunning error "The founder of Shin Buddhism was Nichiren Daishonen" (p. 338); and which repeatedly and thoroughly confuses Shinshu and Nichirenshu; really shook my confidence. The section comes near the end of the book: was Sutin in a hurry to finish his work? Perhaps so: the book does seem to conclude abruptly. In any case; the error; which ironically illustrates the "resistance" to Pure Land Buddhism that the author mentions at the beginning of the section; is most unfortunate. Another complaint I have is the unconventional deployment of notes. There are many endnotes; but there are no indications of them in the text: that makes for smoother reading; but it also makes it likely that the reader will miss useful notes. And I was surprised that R. H. Blyth was mentioned only in passing; and that not indexed. Despite those issues; I liked the book and recommend it; with caveats; as an enjoyable and mostly well-researched introduction to the story of Buddhism and the West.
