The infertile body is arguably the biblical body par excellence. It is the infertile female body that propels salvation history. From Abraham and Sarah to the coming of Christ through the Virgin Mary, the barren body is inhabited by deep metaphorical meaning. Though fertility and birth are pervasive in Orthodox liturgy and theology through the[…..]
Section: Body and Soul
Martyrs without Scars: Disabled Bodies and the Orthodox Eschatological Imaginary
A distinguishing feature of Orthodox Christianity is that it communicates its theology by visual and other sensorial modes. Whenever someone enters an Orthodox church, she finds herself surrounded by images of Christ, the Theotokos, and an impressive number of saintly figures. Even images of the local bishop or important donors may be present. Icons often[…..]
Estrangement from the Self: Sin and the Human Body
Theological accounts of human sinfulness tend to have a deceptive simplicity across Christian traditions. Sin appears as a result of the first disobedience by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After a brief discussion, they nibble on the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, in direct violation of God’s command, and it[…..]
The Body: Dialogues between Psychoanalysis and Orthodox Theology
The history of the relationship between soul and body in science tracks the history of the battle between idealism and materialism—a conflict with only temporary, contingent winners. Meanwhile, through both advances in neuroscience and the decay of ideological obsessions, hope for a much-needed peace has come into view, in the form of moderate, synthetic views.[…..]