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