Material Metaphors: The Body of Religious Texts and Their Embodied Users

What is it about?

In this essay, I explore how the physical form of religious texts, whether written, printed or digital, affects their meaning and influence. Inspired by scholars who study books and literature, I focus on the idea that a text’s material form shapes how we understand its words. I argue that we need to consider not just the texts themselves but also the people who use them and the practices surrounding their use. To do this, I introduce a framework called “practicing texts,” which combines texts, users, and textual practices._x000D_ In this essay, I use examples from both history and today, paying special attention to how bodily metaphors remind us that texts are physical objects used by real people who encounter those texts with their bodies—through their eyes and with their hands. By doing so, I aim to show how this approach can help us better understand the power and influence of religious texts._x000D_

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