Cultural Study of Mary and the Annunciation

This book traces the history of the Annunciation using cultural, literary and psychoanalytic approaches to explore the deep and lasting impact of the event on the Western imagination. Waller explores the Annunciation to Mary from its appearance in Luke's Gospel as historical truth, to its rise to prominence in both religious doctrine and popular culture, and its gradual decline in importance during the Enlightenment. Scholars of art, literature and the religious and cultural history of early modern Europe will find much of value in this innovative work.<br>