POWER, K., — Veiled Desire. Augustine on Women.

Continuum, New York, 1996. XI,328p. Original black hard bound with pictorial dust wrappers. Spine gilt titled. Nice copy. Like new. ‘Kim Power has given us a worth while resource on Augustine’s ideas about women and the feminine in her volume ‘Veiled Desire: Augustine on Women’. She treats a wide range of questions regarding women he knew, women more generally, and the feminine as a symbol in discussions of topics such as wisdom and knowledge. She draws on texts from all the decades of his writings. The endnotes are rich, worthy of study on their own, especially as not all of the references fit in the ‘Select Bibliography’. While appreciating these strong points, readers should consider Power’s interpretations critically. The book has four main substantive sections plus introductory and concluding parts. The introductory section alerts the reader to Power’s awareness of the challenges of interpreting Augustine’s writings historically, employing her feminist approach, and drawing on the social sciences in her theoretical framework. The second part of the book discusses the social context and theological views of women in Augustine’s time. The third part exposes information about his relationships with real women, especially his mother Monica, his concubine, and the women who consulted his as bishop. The fourth part argues that Augustine did not reject the idea that women could be the image of God (p.132). The last substantive section addresses his thought on the Virgin Mary and its implications. The conclusions draw together these discussions of women and the feminine in Augustine’s life and thought.’ (SANDRA LEE DIXON in The Journal of Religion, 1998, pp.267-268).