Sensation and Metaphor in Ritual Performance: The Example of Sacred Texts
James W. Watts
Entangled Religions November 12, 2019 DOI: 10.46586/er.10.2019.8365 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that ritual practices involving sensation, particularly those centered on written scriptures, tend to divert attention away from sensory experience toward ritual behavior, and that ritual interpretations further redirect attention from sensation to its metaphorical meaning. The essay uses metaphor theory and ritual theory to examine rituals of sight, hearing, and touch. |
Abstract
Rituals obviously utilize the human senses. Theological and mystical interpretations frequently comment on sensation as a source of metaphors for religious experience. However, the discourse used in religious rituals themselves usually avoids using the normal vocabulary appropriate to particular sensations, while focusing on ritual performance instead. This raises the question of whether it is generally the case that ritualizing sensation diverts attention from sensation to ritual behavior, and whether ritual interpretations usually divert attention from the sensation to its metaphorical meaning. This essay addresses these questions with the analytical tools of metaphor theory and ritual theory. To test and apply these theories, it focuses on one kind of ritual practices, those that involving written texts, especially books of scripture, and how they use the senses of sight, hearing, and touch.