An anthropological account of the body and spiritual dress, this sensory study brings to life the rich cultural tapestry of global religion.

Hume's emphasis on the smell, feel, texture, and types of cloth used in religious practice is particularly original, as is her discussion of dress associated with the dead. This unique volume underscores the ways that clothing contributes to people's identities and their sense of moral order, in this world and beyond. -- Elisha P. Renne, University of Michigan, USA Lucidly written, this is a superb account of religious life, its rites and taboos read through dress and embellishment. Hume engages new ground in her world-wide coverage of Western religions, Islam, the great Eastern faiths and mystical ceremonies. With exceptional insight she demonstrates the sensorial and transformative lie at the heart of these embodied practices. -- Margaret Maynard, The University of Queensland, Australia. This book combines deep insights into the symbolic significance with evocative descriptions of the sensuous experience of religious dress and adornment in a wide array of spiritual traditions, from Catholicism to Candomble and from Buddhism to Modern Paganism. By digging beneath appearances, Lynne Hume enables the reader to acquire an embodied sense of the varieties of religious devotion and experience through what people wear. -- David Howes, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Centre for Sensory Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

Lynne Hume is Associate Professor in the School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Contents INTRODUCTION PART I: Western Monotheist Religions Chapter One: Hierarchies and Power: Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church Chapter Two: Simplicity and Humility: Anabaptist Orders of Amish, Hutterites and Mennonites Chapter Three: Fashioning Faith: Judaism and Islam PART II: Eastern Religions Chapter Four: India: Hindus, Holy Sadhus, Sikhs and Jains Chapter Five: The Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha ... and the Robe PART III: The Mystical and the Magical Chapter Six: Sufis, Indigenous Shamans, and Modern Pagans Chapter Seven: Possession and the African Diaspora: Vodou, Candomble and Santeria