Download or read book Horoscopes and Public Spheres written by Günther Oestmann and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2012-02-14 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the specific role of horoscopic astrology in Western culture from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Focusing on the public appearance of astrological rhetoric, the essays break new ground for a better understanding of the function of horoscopes in public discourse. The volume's three parts address the use of imperial horoscopes in late antiquity, the transformation of doctrines and rhetorics in Islamic medieval contexts, and the important status of astrology in early modern Europe. The combination of in-depth historical studies and methodological considerations results in an important contribution to religious and cultural studies.