The Utopia Reader - Softcover

3.61

98 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814715710 ISBN 13: 9780814715710

Publisher: NYU Press, 1999

Utopian literature has given voice to the hopes and fears of the human race from its earliest days to the present. The only single-volume anthology of its kind, The Utopia Reader encompasses the entire spectrum and history of utopian writing-from the Old Testament and Plato's Republic, to Sir Thomas More's Utopia and George Orwell's twentieth century dystopia, Nineteen Eighty-Four, through to the present day.The editors of this definitive collection demonstrate the various ways in which utopias have been used throughout history as veiled criticism of existing conditions and how peoples excluded from the dominant discourse-such as women and minorities-have used the form to imagine empowering alternatives to present circumstances.An engaging tour through the dissident, polemic, and satirical tradition of utopian writing, The Utopia Reader ultimately provides a telling portrait of civilization's persistent need to imagine and construct ideal societies.

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Review:

(

"The Utopia Reader is a timely and provocative collection of utopia texts ... and an excellent introduction to the vast field of utopianism.")-("Moreana"), ()

"The Utopia Reader is a timely and provocative collection of utopia texts ... and an excellent introduction to the vast field of utopianism."-"Moreana",

"Goes far beyond the 'bad apple' theory of clergy malfeasance. In this book sensitive, tough-minded sociologists ask why notorious predators have been able to exploit religious institutions and use them to cover up their violations. The clear-headed contributors not only communicate effectively with a wide audience, but also bring years of hard-won experience and training to help the rest of us understand how the misuse of clergy power arose and operates. Institutions that train professionals--seminaries, law schools, medical schools, academic centers--could profit considerably from the wisdom and implied recommendations found in these weighty chapters."-J. E. Barnhart, author of "The Study of Religion and Its Meaning"

""Bad Pastors" raises all the good questions and provides many hypothetical answers, and for these reasons alone it should be read by all sociologists of religion with an interest in wrongdoings." -"Sociology of Religion",

"This book is extremely valuable. Shupe et al. have done an excellent job...highly recommended; it is a must-read." -"Criminal Justice Review",

"The Utopia Reader is a timely and provocative collection of utopia texts ... and an excellent introduction to the vast field of utopianism."-"Moreana"

"The Utopia Reader is a timely and provocative collection of utopia texts ... and an excellent introduction to the vast field of utopianism."

-Moreana

Synopsis:

Utopian literature has given voice to the hopes and fears of the human race from its earliest days to the present. This anthology encompasses the whole spectrum and history of utopian writings, from the Old Testament, Plato's "Republic", Sir Thomas More's "Utopia" and George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" to the present day. The editors' aim is to demonstrate the various ways in which utopias have been used throughout history as veiled criticism of existing conditions, and to provide a portrait of civilization's persistent need to imagine and construct ideal societies.

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