The Body in Religion

Anthology deals with body images and body practices

Body and religion are closely linked. The human body, which is the most direct level of human experience, is used to express and project religious ideas. For example, ablutions, head coverings, gender roles and body modifications are often religiously charged and integrated into a religious frame of reference. Deities are presented with human bodies – or not.

The complex relationship between religious practice and corporeality is explored in the new English-language anthology “The Body in Religion: Images and Practices” from the book series of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”. It is edited by Archaeologist Achim Lichtenberger, Egyptologist Angelika Lohwasser and Theologian Holger Strutwolf. The 20 articles in this volume bring together various disciplines from the humanities and social sciences, including theology, art history, literature, philosophy, and sociology, that address the topic from a global and time-spanning perspective.

It brings together contributions from an interdisciplinary conference of the Cluster of Excellence „Religion and Politics” on „Body Images and Body Practices in the Religions of the World” and is published by Ergon Verlag. (Ergon/pie)