What is it about?
Attitudes toward the performing body in Islam are complicated. This article explores the political, social and spiritual use of the body in Islam through three embodied practices: dance, salat and Sufi worship. How does belief affect Muslims’ experiential and everyday modes of being? How does it manifest in performative aspects of both culture and religion? What are the politics of performance in Islam?
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Why is it important?
This research reveals how religion, culture and history intersect to create various interpretations of doctrine and this results in a lived reality much more dynamic than a study of texts would suggest.
Perspectives
This article was adapted from my Masters (MA) dissertation. I learned a great deal during fieldwork and research - and I hope reading it is just as thought-provoking for you.
Lauren Bridgeman
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Embodying Islam: The political, social and spiritual use of the body in performative practice, Performing Islam, December 2017, Intellect,
DOI: 10.1386/pi.6.2.123_1.
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