Csordas

Csordas, Thomas 1990 “Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology.” Ethos 18(1): 5-47
Csordas argues that embodiment constitutes a concept (and paradigm) to overcome the body-mind, subject-object divisions. It is through the body that experience is possible, which then becomes experience of the body. Csordas combines two focuses that appear to be in tension, that of theory of practice and phenomenology to develop hi paradigm of embodiment for examining Christian charismatic Church phenomenon of spirit possession, glosolalia and communion with the divinity. He uses Merlau Ponty’ idea of perception as pre-objective generative process to understand the way something that was normally understood as superstition can be regarded as real, with this he questions the notion of reality and objectivity altogether. Phenomenology is a useful for understanding perception as an embodied capacity molded by culture but not result of a universal reason. Phenomenology situates reason as a consequence of perception, which poses the potentiality of many variants of objectification, as reality is complex. At the same time he takes the notion of habit to propose that this objects defined after perception do not just create a general external world but the social structure of it. It is, following Bourdieu again form the body’s activity that the social structure is created. He not only applies these concepts but also crates an interesting framework to advance in the complexity of these experiences considering both the point of view of the participants and how a realm of reality comes into being, from a shares experience of social constraints in other spheres and as a response to them. This response is not just a “reaction” is not clearly “resistance” is not an alternative movement but rather a opening of possibilities in a different dimension.