Carroll Timothy
a UCL , UK.
New Bioeth. 2016 Jul;22(2):119-132. doi: 10.1080/20502877.2016.1194657.
This paper addresses the Christian religious tradition of understanding the human body as the 'temple of the Holy Spirit' within the context of body modification in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Drawing on ethnographic research in Jerusalem and Kansas City, interviews with artists and Orthodox Christians, and theological discourses on the body and art, this paper seeks to understand how the body is treated by Orthodox Christians and evaluates the ethical commitments and contestations around the human body and religious practice. The paper focuses specifically on tattooing practices, which, though typically prohibited in conservative forms of Christianity, are nonetheless practiced as a means of devotion in specific Eastern Orthodox Christian settings. These modifications to the body are taken in dialogue with ritual and practical concerns exhibited in Eastern Orthodox burial practice. The paper argues that while there are commonalities across Eastern Orthodox practice, the ethical implications of specific actions are highly contextualized and must be interpreted within local regimes of aesthetic behaviour.
本文探讨了东正教基督教身体改造背景下，将人体理解为“圣灵的殿堂”这一基督教宗教传统。借助在耶路撒冷和堪萨斯城的人种志研究、对艺术家和东正教基督徒的访谈，以及关于身体与艺术的神学论述，本文旨在理解东正教基督徒如何对待身体，并评估围绕人体和宗教实践的伦理承诺与争议。本文特别关注纹身习俗，尽管在保守的基督教形式中通常被禁止，但在特定的东正教基督教环境中，纹身却被用作一种虔诚的方式。这些对身体的改造与东正教葬礼实践中展现的仪式和实际关切相互呼应。本文认为，虽然东正教实践存在共性，但具体行为的伦理影响高度情境化，必须在当地审美行为体系内进行解读。
