Religion and Touch

Contributors to this volume have isolated the ‘sense of touch’ from the general sensorium as a particular ‘sense tool’ from which to creatively innovate and operationalize fresh concepts, theories, and methods in relation to a diverse range of case studies in Africa, South America, Polynesia, Europe, and South and Southeast Asia. Organized over three main parts: Reciprocity and Knowing: Being in Touch with Things; Crafting, ritual, and creativity: working devotion; and ‘Touch, Ritual Efficacy and Communication, common and overlapping themes among the contributions include how touch mediates direct physical (often deliberate) contact between physical bodies (human and other than human) and the things that are crafted, blessed, related with, engaged with, or worn.

Religion is, at its very root, a sensual and often tactile affair. From genuflections, prayer, dance, and eating, to tattooing, wearing certain garments or objects, lighting candles and performing other rituals, religions of all descriptions involve regular bodily commitments which are mediated by acts of touch. Contributors to this volume have isolated the ‘sense of touch’ from the general sensorium as a particular ‘sense tool’ from which to creatively innovate and operationalize fresh concepts, theories, and methods in relation to a diverse range of case studies in Africa, South America, Polynesia, Europe, and South and Southeast Asia. Organised over three main parts: Reciprocity and Knowing: Being in Touch with Things; Crafting, ritual, and creativity: working devotion; and ‘Touch, Ritual Efficacy and Communication, common and overlapping themes among the contributions include how touch mediates direct physical (often deliberate) contact between physical bodies (human and other than human) and the things that are crafted, blessed, related with, engaged with, or worn. Understanding touch as the vehicle to alternative forms of knowledge-making in specific religious contexts is the driving force behind the contributions to this collection. The volume argues that touch is not only an intrinsic part of religion but the principal facilitating medium through which religion, religious encounters and performances take place. The diverse contexts presented here signal how investigations that centralise the body and the senses can produce nuanced, culturally specific knowledges and allow for the development of new definitions for lived religion. By placing both ‘body’ and the sense of touch at the centre of investigations, the volume asserts that material practice and bodily sensation are lived religion.

Introduction Part I: Reciprocity and Knowing: Being in Touch with Things Chapter 1: Tattooing Ritual and the Management of Touch in Polynesia Sebastien Galliot, Centre for Research and Documentation on Oceania, Marseilles Chapter 2: Touch, Clothing and Exchange in Guyanese Hinduism Sinah Kloss, University of Bonn Chapter 3: Accommodating Crisis: Exploring the Dynamics of Touch and Material Devotion in Alcala de los Gazules, Spain Amy Whitehead and Gabriel Bayarri, Macquarie University and Complutense University of Madrid Chapter 4: Widsiths Lyre: A Personal Exploration of Religion, Music and Touch Andy Letcher, Schumacher College Chapter 5: Being There: Anglo-Indian Roots Tourism Experiences Robyn Andrews, Massey University Part II: Crafting Devotion: ritual labour Chapter 6: Temple Exchanges in Bali: People, Gods and the Sense of Touch Graham MacRae, Massey University Chapter 7: Death Doulas and Coffin Clubs: Exploring Touch and the End of Life Suzi Garrod, Death Doula and Bereavement Counsellor, and Bronwyn Russell, Independent Scholar Chapter 8: Touch and Other Senses: Feeling the Truth in Basket Divination Sonia Silva, Skidmore College Part III: Ritual and Touch, Communication, Knowledge-making Chapter 9: "I am broken, I am remade. And I am held tightly through all that comes between." - BDSM and Religioning on the Edge Alison Robertson, The Open University Chapter 10: Religion, Touch and Death: Ritual and the Human Corpse Christina Welch Chapter 11: Spiritual Hugging as a Ritual Act Michael Houseman, PSL Research University, France Chapter 12: Touched by God: Tactile Aspects of the Christian Faith George Chyssides, University of Birmingham and York St John University

• Edited by Christina Welch
• Edited by Amy Whitehead