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Body in Ritual
Communicating through Embodied Practices in Religious Ritual
Eva Kundtová Klocová [+–]
LEVYNA – Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Masaryk University
Eva Kundtová Klocová is a Research Fellow at LEVYNA (Laboratory for the Experimental
Research of Religion), Masaryk University, where she conducts both lab and field experiments and collaborates on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research projects. Her main interests are embodiment theories of ritual, theories of ritual communication, evolutionary theories of religion, methodology of experimental research in humanities and social sciences, and cognitive theory in the study of religion. She has co-authored empirical studies concerning religious behaviour and beliefs; the effects of religious priming on parochial prosociality, belief in (non)moralizing gods and dishonest behaviour, signalling functions of extreme rituals as well as papers and chapters focusing on theoretical assumptions and methodological approaches to the study of religion; methodological approaches in cognitive historiography, theory of embodied cognition in
the study of religion. She directs the research infrastructure HUME Lab (Laboratory for Experimental Humanities) at Masaryk University and currently serves as the Secretary General of the International Association for the Cognitive and Evolutionary Sciences of Religion (IACESR).
Research of Religion), Masaryk University, where she conducts both lab and field experiments and collaborates on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research projects. Her main interests are embodiment theories of ritual, theories of ritual communication, evolutionary theories of religion, methodology of experimental research in humanities and social sciences, and cognitive theory in the study of religion. She has co-authored empirical studies concerning religious behaviour and beliefs; the effects of religious priming on parochial prosociality, belief in (non)moralizing gods and dishonest behaviour, signalling functions of extreme rituals as well as papers and chapters focusing on theoretical assumptions and methodological approaches to the study of religion; methodological approaches in cognitive historiography, theory of embodied cognition in
the study of religion. She directs the research infrastructure HUME Lab (Laboratory for Experimental Humanities) at Masaryk University and currently serves as the Secretary General of the International Association for the Cognitive and Evolutionary Sciences of Religion (IACESR).
Religious rituals come in a seemingly inexhaustible variety of forms, compiled from diverse components and attributes. Yet, there are clear patterns using body symbolism, bodily signals, and manipulations of participants` bodies that are so far largely unchartered by the scientific study of religion. Prevalent approaches to the study of religion often prioritise religious thought, perpetuating the natural bias toward a dualistic understanding of the body as a possession, rather than an integral part of the mind as well as bias for protestant Christianities.
This volume offers a clear, integrative, and systematic research program of the body in religious ritual employing a multilayer model of ritual communication through bodily practices. The model consists of three levels: individual, social, and symbolic, each representing a different level of complexity of communication. While evaluating theoretical frameworks for each level, the volume also addresses the interconnectedness of the levels and suggest ways to look for continuities between the levels.
The volume focuses on one concept widely communicated in religious rituals: power asymmetry. Diverse modalities of communicating power relations between superhuman and human agents are shown on all three levels. On the individual level, the focus is on the use of specific ritual postures and other acts that constrain, or prescribe, what happens to the body during a ritual. Although such practices can serve as a communication device in interpersonal contact, the volume emphasizes their effect on the individual, on both biochemical and psychological levels. The social level is explored mainly through the connection between verticality and the perception of dominance. Visual information of size and position provides an evolutionary stable type of cue of dominance or strategic benefit for the larger or higher positioned individual in potential confrontation. Power and dominance are further communicated on the symbolic level with embodied metaphors that refer to evolved sensitivity to size and position.
The volume also offers and illustrates a research program that could produce opportunities for interdisciplinary bridging between the strictly naturalistic perspective and socio-cultural approaches. It argues that the topic of body and physicality in religious rituals can (and should) serve as a natural opportunity for systematic interdisciplinary collaboration. It showcases this approach on the bodily position of kneeling, which is used cross-culturally in many different ritual settings.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction [+–]
This part will provide an overview of the main topics, questions and structure of the book. Furthermore, I will also identify the problems facing the field and outline solutions proposed in the book. I will also point out the necessity of interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the main concepts presented in the book and highlight the practical applicability of a cross-cutting approach to complex topics.
Chapter 2
In this chapter, I will clarify terminology, definitions, and theoretical background.
Chapter 3
This chapter will present the relevant accounts of communication on individual, social, and symbolic levels and relate them to the study of religious rituals and the role of the body in them. I will argue that the body plays an important role in the compelling communication of religious ideas and attitudes, most prominently during rituals. The chapter will also provide a brief overview of the theoretical approach to communication, which is fundamental for the understanding of rituals presented in the book.
Chapter 4
Power Asymmetry [+–]
Informed by the theoretical approaches to communication outlined in the previous chapter, in this chapter, I focus on a specific example of content communicated through embodied practices of religious rituals. This specific ritual content central to this chapter is a power asymmetry between the human and the superhuman.
Chapter 5
Kneeling [+–]
In this chapter, I will present empirical evidence illustrating the arguments raised in the previous parts using the bodily posture of kneeling as a case study. This evidence will be augmented with critical discussion and suggestions and recommendations for further exploration.
Chapter 6
Conclusion [+–]
I will summarize a proposed model for approaching the study of religious rituals and the role of the body in them. I will also suggest ways to further advance this model and expand our knowledge regarding the function of rituals and religion in general.
