Living Bodies, Dead Bodies, and the Cosmos

Culturally Specific and Universal Concepts

edited by Chiara Ferella, Tanja Pommerening and Ulrike Steinert

Book cover: Living Bodies, Dead Bodies, and the Cosmos

Extent: 441 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Religious Studies

Series: Ancient Cultures of Sciences and Knowledge

Series volume number: 3

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(October 2024)

ISBN: 9783161600852

9.09 x 6.06 inches

Price: $149.00

In stock

Which concepts about humans, their physical existence, and the world are universal, and which are culturally specific and historically diverse? This volume explores concepts related to the living body, the dead body, and the cosmos found in the cultural traditions of different eras and world regions, from ancient times to the present.


This volume presents a collection of essays exploring transculturally and historically recurring conceptions of the human body and the natural world. Sixteen case studies from a range of disciplines, including psychology and history, delve into concepts related to the living body, the dead body, and the cosmos found in the cultural traditions of different eras and world regions, from ancient times to the present. The contributions highlight the mutual interrelations of human conceptions of the body and the cosmos; they explore the role of physically grounded experiences in shaping such concepts and investigate different factors contributing to the universality as well as the historical variability of these concepts.

  • Edited by Chiara Ferella
  • Edited by Tanja Pommerening
  • Edited by Ulrike Steinert