Materiality and the Study of Religion: The Stuff of the Sacred (Theology and Religion in Interdisciplinary Perspective Series in Association with the BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group)

Material culture has emerged in recent decades as a significant theoretical concern for the study of religion. This book contributes to and evaluates this material turn, presenting thirteen chapters of new empirical research and theoretical reflection from some of the leading international scholars of material religion. Following a model for material analysis proposed in the first chapter by David Morgan, the contributors trace the life cycle of religious materiality through three phases: the production of religious objects, their classification as religious (or non-religious), and their circulation and use in material culture. The chapters in this volume consider how objects become and cease to be sacred, how materiality can be used to contest access to public space and resources, and how religion is embodied and performed by individuals in their everyday lives. Contributors discuss the significance of the materiality of religion across different religious traditions and diverse geographical regions, paying close attention to gender, age, ethnicity, memory and politics. The volume closes with an afterword by Manuel Vásquez. Material culture has emerged in recent decades as a significant theoretical concern for the study of religion. This book contributes to and evaluates this material turn, presenting 13 chapters of new empirical research and theoretical reflection. Following a model for material analysis proposed in our first chapter by David Morgan, the contributors trace the lifecycle of religious materiality through three phases: the production of religious objects, their classification as religious (or non-religious), and their circulation and use in material culture. Through these explorations, we learn how objects become and cease to be sacred, how materiality can be used in contests over access to public space and resources, and how religion is embodied and performed by individuals in their everyday lives. Using material culture as a lens through which to explore the ongoing transformations of symbols and practices in lived religion today, the contributors present insights from a broad range of new research projects and theoretical approaches. Chapters discuss the significance of the materiality of religion across different religious traditions and diverse geographical regions, and close attention is paid to gender, age, ethnicity, class and politics. This book contributes to this rapidly-growing field of study by gathering the latest research from some of the leading international scholars of material religion and focusing closely (but not exclusively) on the context of religion in Britain. The volume closes with an Afterword by Manuel Vasquez Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of contributors Introduction: The body of St Cuthbert 1 Material analysis and the study of religion PART 1 Production 2 From production to performance: Candles, creativity and connectivity 3 Blessed food from Jalarām’s kitchen: Narrative, continuity and service among Jalarām Bāpā devotees in London 4 Music and materialism: The emergence of alternative Muslim lifestyle cultures in Britain 5 Augmented graves and virtual Bibles: Digital media and material religion PART 2 Classification 6 Art works: A relational rather than representational understanding of art and buildings 7 Im/material objects: Relics, gestured signs and the substance of the immaterial 8 ‘An altar inside a circle’: A relational model for investigating green Christians’ experiments with sacred space 9 The significance of secular sacred space in the formation of British atheist identities PART 3 Circulation 10 Death in material and mental culture 11 Religion materialised in the everyday: Young people’s attitudes towards material expressions of religion 12 Mobilising Mecca: Reassembling blessings at the museum 13 Matter challenging words: From ‘angel talisman’ to ‘prayer ornament’ Afterword: Materiality, lived religion, and the challenges of “going back to the things themselves” Index Edited By Tim Hutchings And Joanne Mckenzie. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.