Starting from the exclusion of gestation and motherhood in literary, philosophical, and artistic representation, this dissertation analyzes the metaphor of textual gestation as a mimetic appropriation of female generative power. Beginning with an analysis of the pervasive silence, this dissertation analyzes the relationship between intellectual and bodily gestation. Having theorized the silence imposed upon the maternal body in the Western tradition, I then considered the articulation of maternal voices in Carme Riera and Lucia Etxebarria's narratives, which alike reveal the interplay between gestation and artistic creation that results in the mothering of a text. The overarching questions that my dissertation aims to address are: How can subjectivity be rethought in ways that make it possible to theorize women's voices out of the silence to which they have been relegated by a philosophical tradition that privileges male creativity over the female reproduction? If traditionally the writing process has been considered a male enterprise with the pen functioning as a symbolic phallus, what are the implications of the female text that revolves around the mother? In other words, what are the implications, in literary terms, of "mothering" a text, of creating a text that reflects women's reproductive potential? More generally, is it possible to recuperate maternal voices from the marginalization and exclusion to which they have traditionally been relegated? In order to answer these questions I focus on Carme Riera's "Te entrego, amor, la mar, como una ofrenda" (1975), Una primavera para Domenico Guarini (1980) and Tiempo de espera (19), and Lucia Etxebarria's Un milagro en equilibrio (2004)--texts that display the emergence of maternal voices as the speaking subjects of their narratives. These books reveal the interrelation between bodily and intellectual gestation from a female perspective while showing the development of maternal subjects who chronicle journeys to motherhood through the very act of self-narration. These women reflect on their reproductive experience in a range of private and public writing, from intimate letters and diaries to more impersonal journals, and thus assert female agency in the reproductive process. The gestation of the text happens alongside the emergence of a new maternal subject, one no longer predicated on the name of the father but entirely assumed as a female responsibility. The process of textual genesis, which coincides with the protagonist's bodily gestation, re-appropriates female generative power. Having conjugated intellectual and bodily gestation, these literary mothers give life to a new maternal self.

What kind of mother must a woman be to give birth to “chosen” or “saved” peoples? The many stories of biblical mothers found in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament are deeply concerned with this question and answer it in surprising and diverse ways. From Sarah, Abraham’s wife, to Mary, the mother of Jesus, each mother embodies the type of woman her culture thought she had to be to produce a holy people set apart by God. The larger question of Klancher’s book asks, to what end? What does it mean when different types of mothers are used to establish the value of some people over others? Her book explores this question and asks how the mothers’ stories and their interpretation over the centuries have authorized diverse logics of sexual and racial difference that we live with today.

Mothers Who Deliver: Feminist Interventions in Public and Interpersonal Discourse brings together essays that focus on mothering as an intelligent practice, deliberately reinvented and rearticulated by mothers themselves. The contributors to this watershed volume focus on subjects ranging from mothers in children's picture books and mothers writing blogs to global maternal activism and mothers raising gay sons. Distinguishing itself from much writing about motherhood today, Mothers Who Deliver focuses on forward-looking arguments and new forms of knowledge about the practice of mothering instead of remaining solely within the realm of critique. Together, the essays create a compelling argument about the possibilities of empowered mothering.

Facebook. Twitter. Snapchat. We live in a rapidly changing world, a world that seems to be increasingly inhospitable toward preaching. In the face of digital technology, social media, cultural pluralism, and pastoral burnout, how can Christian preachers proclaim the gospel faithfully and effectively? This book answers that question by bringing together a selection of important voices from across North America, Asia, and the Pacific. It argues that Spirit-empowered preaching is characterized by five attributes: it opens the Scriptures, engages the culture, addresses the listener, dissects the preacher, and elevates the Savior. With contributions from authors like William Willimon, Darrell Johnson, Lynne Baab, Robert Smith Jr., and Paul Windsor, this is an excellent resource for ordained ministers, lay preachers, theological students, and anyone wrestling with the challenge of preaching God’s word in a smartphone world.

For four decades, physicians and other healthcare providers have trusted Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases to provide expert guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of these complex disorders. The 9th Edition continues the tradition of excellence with newly expanded chapters, increased global coverage, and regular updates to keep you at the forefront of this vitally important field. Meticulously updated by Drs. John E. Bennett, Raphael Dolin, and Martin J. Blaser, this comprehensive, two-volume masterwork puts the latest information on challenging infectious diseases at your fingertips. Provides more in-depth coverage of epidemiology, etiology, pathology, microbiology, immunology, and treatment of infectious agents than any other infectious disease resource. Features an increased focus on antibiotic stewardship; new antivirals for influenza, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis C, hepatitis B., and immunizations; and new recommendations for vaccination against infection with pneumococci, papillomaviruses, hepatitis A, and pertussis. Covers newly recognized enteroviruses causing paralysis (E-A71, E-D68); emerging viral infections such as Ebola, Zika, Marburg, SARS, and MERS; and important updates on prevention and treatment of C. difficile infection, including new tests that diagnose or falsely over-diagnose infectious diseases. Offers fully revised content on bacterial pathogenesis, antibiotic use and toxicity, the human microbiome and its effects on health and disease, immunological mechanisms and immunodeficiency, and probiotics and alternative approaches to treatment of infectious diseases. Discusses up-to-date topics such as use of the new PCR panels for diagnosis of meningitis, diarrhea and pneumonia; current management of infected orthopedic implant infections; newly recognized infections transmitted by black-legged ticks in the USA: Borrelia miyamotoi and Powassan virus; infectious complications of new drugs for cancer; new drugs for resistant bacteria and mycobacteria; new guidelines for diagnosis and therapy of HIV infections; and new vaccines against herpes zoster, influenza, meningococci. PPID continues its tradition of including leading experts from a truly global community, including authors from Australia, Canada and countries in Europe, Asia, and South America. Features more than 1,500 high-quality, full-color photographs—with hundreds new to this edition.

The world is filled with messages for women about pregnancy. Popular books and well-meaning family and friends offer unsolicited advice about what to expect and how to stay healthy—sometimes resulting in joy and excitement but other times leading to discouragement and fear. The Bible, too, has a lot to say about childbirth—offering real hope that nothing in this world can match. In Labor with Hope, Gloria Furman helps women see topics such as pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, birth pain, and new life in the framework of the larger biblical narrative, infusing cosmic meaning into their personal experience by exploring how they point to eternal realities. Women will see that only Christ can provide the strength they desperately need in order to labor with hope.