Abstract
Rejecting recent apologetic readings of Revelation that affirm the otherness of its deity, this article attempts to demonstrate the extent to which Revelation's theology is a male fantasy. For the author of Revelation, eternal bliss consists in the uninterrupted vision of a being who is divine, 'perfect' and hypermasculine. Is there a contempo rary cultural analogue to this apotheosis of the hegemonic male as the ultimate object of vision, adoration, identification and desire? Yes, the bodybuilding posing exhibition. Using contemporary testaments to male narcissism, bodybuilding magazines in particular, the article atempts to decipher an ancient testament to male narcissism.
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