Theology of Particularity : Unruly Bodies and the Stories They Carry

This book defines a Christian theology of the body, considering the unruliness of the flesh and the stories our bodies carry.

Within the Bible and religious practices, our bodies are often viewed as either one-dimensional, purely symbolic objects or the embodiment of sinful degradation. Mark A. Godin resists this turn, arguing that bodies carry stories and stories interpret bodies. This book asserts the need to recognize the body within theological inquiries. Across twelve chapters, Godin inquires: what does it mean to discern the body and what impact might this have on our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the divine? Part One consists of a critical examination of Christian theological traditions concerning bodies and stories as displayed in the work of four modern Christian thinkers. In Part Two, Godin turns to storytelling itself and investigates the portrayals of bodies in five novels. Ultimately, Godin uses fictional and real depictions of the body to define a Christian theology which attends to the concrete materiality of actual persons in the world.