Christianity and the Limits of Materiality

Despite the fact that Christianity is understood to be thoroughly intertwined with matter, objects, and things, Christians struggle to cope with this materiality in their daily lives. This volume argues that the ambivalent relationships many Christians have with materiality is a driving force that contributes to the way people in different Christian traditions and in different parts of the world understand and live out their religion. By placing the questions of limits and boundary-work to the fore, the volume addresses the question of exactly how Christianity takes place materially, addressing a gap in studies to date. presents ground-breaking research on the frameworks and contexts in relation to and within which Christian logics of materiality operate. The volume places the negotiations at the limits of materiality within the larger framework of Christian identities and politics of belonging.The chapters discuss case studies from North and South America, Europe, and Africa, and demonstrate that the limits preoccupying Christians delimit their lives but also enable many things. Ultimately, Christianity and the Limits of Materiality demonstrates that it is at the interfaces of materiality and the transcendent that Christians create and legitimise their religion.>

Product details

• Authors: Anna Haapalainen, Minna Opas, Minna (University of Turku Opas
• Assisted by: Anna Haapalainen (Editor), Anna (University of Turku Haapalainen (Editor), Haapalainen Anna (Editor), Dr. Minna (University of Turku Opas (Editor), Minna Opas (Editor), Minna (University of Turku Opas (Editor), Amy Whitehead (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2018
• EAN: 9781350094642
• ISBN: 978-1-350-09464-2
• No. of pages: 296
• Dimensions: 150 mm x 232 mm x 18 mm
• Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Material; Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion; Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General, RELIGION / Christianity / General, Christianity, Sociology & anthropology, Sociology and anthropology