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As a basic medium of human interaction, the body is fundamental to socio-cultural communication systems, in particular the communication system "religion". Over time, religious traditions - in all their various cultural and historical forms and incarnations - have developed elaborated symbolic systems with the body at their center. This volume proposes to study these systems and the role that body plays in their organization through the perspective of the concept of body as a medium and by drawing on media and communication theory. The papers collected in this volume explore this perspective in relation to different religious traditions, historical periods and theoretical as well as theological themes. They also engage in specific theoretical frameworks in order to discuss the scope and limitations of thinking of the body as a medium in religious symbol systems. Topics covered range from ancient mythology to contemporary Parsi rituals to the boundaries between body and technology.
About the author
Dr. Anna-Katharina Höpflinger ist Assistentin am Zentrum für Religion, Wirtschaft und Politik (ZRWP). Sie studierte Religionswissenschaft an der Universität Zürich und promovierte 2008 zum Thema Drachenkampf im Alten Orient und der griechisch-römischen Antike. 2009-11 war sie Mitglied des Projektes Commun(icat)ing Bodies der Universität Graz. Ihre aktuellen Forschungsschwerpunkte umfassen Medien und Religion, Kleidung und Religion, Gender und Religion, europäische und antike Religionsgeschichte, Drachenkampfmythen und Black Metal. Sie ist Mitglied der Forschungsgruppe Medien und Religion.
