The Ethics of the Body in Different Religious Traditions and Spiritual Discourses

Dear Colleagues,

At present, there is an increasing interest in the subject of the human body. Ranging from topics of anthropology and sociology to philosophy, from medicine to technology and bio-politics, and from literature to history and the visual arts, research on this issue seeks analyze different facets of human corporeality with the intention of deepening our understanding of the body's significance and the ethical stance we should adopt towards it. Operating from a religious viewpoint, certain approaches examine the body’s connection to ritualistic practices such as prayer, bodily cleansing, fasting, and meditation techniques. The intention in such research is to emphasize how the body can engage in spiritual experience and be enlightened through encounters with the sacred. Alternatively, some explore the body’s potential to transform into a spiritual language, embodying and expressing faith in profound ways.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to take a step further in investigating the connections between body and religion, with a specific focus on topics that illustrate how the body is ethically conceptualized, depicted or engaged with across different religious traditions and spiritual discourses.

We invite scholars from academic disciplines such as theology, religious studies, anthropology, or the sociology of religion to submit high-quality papers that can cover topics such as the interplay between the body and various forms of asceticism; the role he of tbody in spiritual struggle; the nuanced boundary between pure and impure classifications; the intricate relationship between body and mind; the intertwining of the body and emotions; the religious perception of the body; etc.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. This may be sent to the Guest Editors ([email protected]; [email protected]) or to the Religions Editorial Office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

Chrystoph, B.; Konstantin, K. (Eds.) The Concept of Body in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourse); De Gruyer: Berlin, Germany, 2023.

Peter, B. The Body and Society. Men, Women and Sexual Renuntiation in Early Christianity; Faber and Faber: London, UK; Boston, MA, USA, 1989.

Raphael, A.C. The Body and Desire. Gregory of Nyssa’s Ascetical Theology; University of California Press: Oakland, CA, 2018.

Sarah, C. (Ed.) Religion and the Body (Cambridge Studies in ReligiousTraditions, Series Number 8); Cambrigde University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1997.

Hannah, K.,H. Purity and Sanctuary of the Body in the Second Temple Period (Journal of Ancient Judaism Supplements); Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Gmbh & Co: Göttingen, Germany, 2019.

Eilberg-Schwartz, H. (Ed.) People of the Body. Jews and Judaism from an Embodied Perspective; State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, USA, 1992.

Hannah, H. Cloted in the Body. Asceticism, the Body and the Spiritual in the Late Antique Era. (Ashgate Studies in Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity); Ashgate Publishing Limited: Farham, UK, 2012.

Catalin-Stefan, P. (Ed.) Soul and Body Diseases, Remedies and Healing in Middle Eastern Religious Cultures and Traditions (Studies on the Children of Abraham 10); Brill: Leiden, The Netherlands; Boston, MA, USA, 2023.

Geoffrey, S.; Jay, J. (Eds.) Religion and the Subtle Body in Asia and the West: Between Mind and Body (Routlegde Studies in Asian Religion and Philosophy Book 8); Routledge: London, UK, 2013.

Vos, N.; Van Geest, P. (Eds.) Early Christian Mystagogy and the Body (Annua Nuntia Lovaniensia LXXXIII); Peeters: Leuven, Belgium, 2022.

Dr. Gabriel Noje
Dr. Daniel Lemeni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• human corporeality
• the ethics of the body
• embodiment
• desire
• repentance
• sin
• emotions
• asceticism
• moral responsibility
• spirituality of the heart
• illness of body
• sexuality
• mind-body practices
• relaxation techniques
• transfigured body