The Faces of the Goddess
"At last: a book that explains that the notion of a unitary Mother Goddess is modern, and that female culture was not driven out by patriarchy.  But even more important is the positive contribution that this book makes to the understanding of the nature of ancient female divinities, which were more diverse and potent than modern writers have imagined them to be. Instead of being restricted to motherhood, the various goddesses worshipped in the ancient world displayed the full range of feminine powers, both constructive and destructive, and commanded the respect of both men and women."--Mary Lefkowitz, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities, Wellesley College."I have no doubt that this volume will become an important landmark in the comparative study of religion."--James Preston, Anthropology and Religious Studies, SUNY Oneonta"In The Faces of the Goddess Lotte Motz at last rescues a number of goddesses from the murky Jungian limbo to which many previous studies have consigned them, a place in which all goddesses look alike in the dark; in so doing she restores to each of them the dignity of their individual power and fascination, and provides both a sound scholarly basis for our understanding of them and a wide gamut of far more visible, because more nuanced, models for contemporary women to emulate."--Wendy Doniger"Dr. Motz has offered us here a well-documented, nicely written and presented, duly diversified image of the multifaceted archetype of the Mother-Goddess."--Edgar C. Polome, University of Texas as Austin"Lotte Motz combines a superb knowledge of mythology with the gift for making age-old problems look fresh. She loves polemic, but it is the quest for the most convincing solution, rather than controversy for controversy's sake, that inspires her work."--Anatoly Liberman, University of Minnesota"I consider the book an usually important contribution, one that should be read and pondered by anyone interested in the study of religion, and one that should have a lasting effect on the field."--Thorkild Jacobsen, former Director of the Oriental Institute, Chicago, and author of The Treasures of Darkness"Faces of the Goddess offers a necessary antidote against romantic or Jungian Mother mysticism."--Walter Burkert, Professor of Classics, the University of Zurich,  and author of Greek Religion"A useful warning about trendy spirituality."--Alan Cochrum, Fort Worth Star-Telegram