Western culture is in a moment when wholly new kinds of personal transformations are possible, but authentic transformation requires both personal testimony and public recognition. In this book, Adam Ellwanger takes a distinctly rhetorical approach to analyzing how the personal and the public relate to an individual’s transformation and develops a new vocabulary that enables a critical assessment of the concept of authenticity.

The concept of metanoia is central to this project. Charting the history of metanoia from its original use in the classical tradition to its adoption by early Christians as a term for religious conversion, Ellwanger shows that metanoia involves a change within a person that results in a truer version of him- or herself―a change in character or ethos. He then applies this theory to our contemporary moment, finding that metanoia provides unique insight into modern forms of self-transformation. Drawing on ancient and medieval sources, including Thucydides, Plato, Paul the Apostle, and Augustine, as well as contemporary discourses of self-transformation, such as the public testimonies of Caitlyn Jenner and Rachel Dolezal, Ellwanger elucidates the role of language in signifying and authenticating identity.

Timely and original, Ellwanger’s study formulates a transhistorical theory of personal transformation that will be of interest to scholars working in social theory, philosophy, rhetoric, and the history of Christianity.

About the Author

Adam Ellwanger is Associate Professor of English at the University of Houston-Downtown.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We specialise in General Interest Books from South Asian countries.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

BOOKS AND PERIODICALS AGENCY LTD
90 Barnet Gate Lane, Barnet, EN5 2AX, United Kingdom

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Returns accepted if you are not satisfied with the Service or Book.

Shipping Terms

Best packaging and fast delivery

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Order quantity	14 to 45 business days	5 to 10 business days
First item	US$ 8.51	US$ 12.90

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.