Drawing insights from the anthropologist Mary Douglas this lecture discusses the criteria across religious traditions that set apart the ritually pure from the impure. Mary Douglas has carried out elaborate study on the Book of Leviticus of the Hebrew Scriptures examining the meaning of ritual purity. ‘Anomaly’ is the key word. For instance, body fluids (blood, feces, urine, saliva) out of the body particularly if they are still touching the body are anomalous – they are not expected to be there – hence they render the body impure. Someone else touching the impure body would render them impure too.
There are degrees of purity: A Brahmin going to offer sacrifice in the temple is expected to possess the highest status of purity as compared to when he is at home not on duty at the temple. For instance, not to have sex before the worship. However, even at home he is expected to be of a higher pure status than a Shudra. For instance, not to touch animals.
Prohibitory laws regarding food (Halal and Kosher, for example) are also based on the principle of anomaly. For instance, In the Jewish tradition, this refers to prohibition from eating unclean animals (eg. pigs, shellfish); mixing of meat and milk; animals not slaughtered by letting the blood out. Only animals that both chew their cud and have cloven hooves (camel does not have cloven hoof, and pig does not chew the cud). In the Islamic tradition, this generally refers to not eating pig, blood, and only eating animals slaughtered in the name of ‘Allah’ by letting the blood out – hence not strangled, etc.
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