Religion and the Body by Sarah Coakley

Religion and the Body by Sarah Coakley

This book aims to highlight the distinctive and unfamiliar ways in which diverse religious traditions understand the 'body', and also, in doing this, to raise to greater consciousness some of the assumptions and problems of contemporary attitudes to it. It brings together essays by established experts in the history of religion, the social sciences, and philosophy. Part I is devoted to an analysis of current secularized discourses on the 'body', and to exposing both their anti-religious and their covertly religious content. Parts II and III provide essays on traditional 'Western' and 'Eastern' religious attitudes to the 'body'. Each contributor focuses on some (especially characteristic) devotional practices or relevant texts; each carefully outlines the total context in which a distinctive religious attitude to 'bodiliness' occurs. The result is a rich source for comparative studies of the 'body', and of its relation to society and to the divine.

'An unusually coherent anthology designed to remedy the 'lack of standard study of the 'body' and the major religions' Coakley's introduction is wonderfully lucid … a useful handbook of traditions and theories, rich in substance and analysis' Religious Studies Review
'This volume stands out for its unusually wide selection of topics ... will certainly broaden the understanding and spur the reflection of anyone interested in the religious and social dimensions of the body … an exceptional wealth of suggestive and stimulating ideas.' Heythrop Journal
'A rich profusion of essays spanning the world and history beyond the Christian and Judaic West to Eastern religious traditions.' The Tablet

Coakley, Jay: - Jay Coakley is Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He received his Ph.D and M.A. from the University of Notre Dame in Sociology and received his B.A. from Regis College (Denver). He is published in a wide range of journals and has edited several books including the Handbook of Sports Studies with Eric Dunning for Sage Publications, and given many presentations around the world. He has served on the editorial board for the Sociology of Sport Journal where he was editor for many years. He is currently on the editorial board of the International Review for the Sociology of Sport.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521366694
ISBN 10	0521366690
Title	Religion and the Body
Author	Sarah Coakley
Series	Cambridge Studies In Religious Traditions
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	1997-05-29
Number of pages	332
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.