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Uses of the body in religion
1. Body as metaphor2. The social body3. Body and experience – limits and their
transcendence
The body as metaphor• Because we all have bodies…• Body is relatable model with which to think
about– Social order– Cosmic order
Myth
• Myths of creation often focus on emergence/creation/birth of human bodies and their differentiation
Human origins and moral order
• Creation and proper human society–Controversies of
creationism/evolution?• End of world–Perversion or reversal of
creation processes
Body boundaries and integrity
• Purity and body integrity– Eating/eliminating/wounds
and healing
• How to keep the body’s substance uncompromised– Food taboos– Health food/veganism etc.?
Ritual
• Because the body is not constant, therefore its fluctuations and changes draw attention– Pregnancy and childbirth– Puberty– Menstruation– Menopause– Senescence– Death
Altering/transforming the body• Body disciplines important in many
religious traditions– Asceticism/chastity/mortification– Entering religious institutions may involve
adjustments to the body
Dealing with anomaly
• What about “liminal” bodies?– Those that don’t seem to “fit” comfortably within
social categories
Hijras in culture and society
• Loss of their own powers = power over others• Blessing of marriages and births
• Prostitution and begging in city settings• Political activism• Third sex recognition
Social body
• How does body present itself in social life?• Dress/behavior/demeanor
Meanings of veiling
• Sexual desire is natural• Experienced by both sexes• Restraint cannot be exercised solely by
individuals– women must conceal selves/ be concealed– men must comply with standards veiling imply
Wearing a veil/obeying its rules
• Communicates that the wearer and the observer acknowledge social rules– Are accepted and protected by appropriate social
institutions– The family
Hijab/burqa
• “Portable walls”• Allow movement outside
the home• Variability in style/pattern
of wear
Veil as symbolic statement
• Communicates presence of Muslim community
• Anti-westernization – Commoditization– Media
• Though now is definitely part of fashion market