Imagery, Ritual, and Birth

Reviews / Votes

Anna M. Hennessey's book functions as an excellent account of the social ontology of birth, as well as of birth practices, rituals, and objects---that is, their social meanings and how these meanings come into being and sometimes change. Hennessey's work not only comprises a novel and fascinating social ontology of birth and birth processes, but also serves to challenge what Searle and others, in the context of philosophy of mind, treat as a legitimate object of consciousness. * Sophia: International Journal of Philosophy and Traditions * Ripe with striking images of artifacts used as sacred objects in birth and often demonstrating explicit female and reproductive imagery, Imagery, Ritual, and Birth explores both art about birth and art used in birth to reinforce the power and significance of this rite of passage for understanding lived religious experience. . . The particular focus of Hennessey's study and the multi-leveled argument she makes mean that her audience has the potential to be much wider than one might first assume. Scholars interested in religious art and artifact will find the discussion of shifting ontologies engaging and scholars of motherhood, birth, and women in religion will appreciate the careful attention to women's subjective experience and the significance of the childbirth rite of passage. All scholars of religion would do well to heed Hennessey's call to take seriously not only the experience of women generally but also the power and transformative potential of childbirth as a site of religious and spiritual meaning. * Reading Religion * Imagery, Ritual, and Birth is a hugely significant and timely book, calling attention to one of the most profound set of issues in philosophy and the contemporary study of religion and secularity-the ongoing mishandling of birth and natality-as well as offering its own rich and satisfying response. This book will be essential reading for anyone who takes seriously the theoretical and empirical study of religion, secularity, nonreligion and the sacred, and for those involved in the reshaping of these fields around new understandings of spirituality, worldview and existential meaning and culture. It is also a wonderful read, and will engage and reward scholars and students at all levels. -- Lois Lee, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Religious Studies, University of Kent This diverse and multicultural examination of the contemporary movement by women, men gender-non-conforming individuals and communities to re-sacralize the birthing body provides a profound and detailed examination of the loss of birthing imagery in the modern West - and the efforts of contemporary artists, birth activists, women, men and other birthgivers to reclaim it. Her argument for the significance of birthing images which offer empowerment, and support to women and other birthgivers is augmented by the many powerful images of birth and pregnancy drawn from Asian, African, European, Meso-American and Indigenous sources. -- Arisika Razak, professor emerita, Women's Spirituality Program, California Institute of Integral Studies