Play, Pain and Religion: Creating Gestalt Through Kink Encounter

Play, Pain, and Religion explores the practices of BDSM in the context of Religious Studies scholarship, examining how practitioner accounts of BDSM experience align with personal identification with terms such as religious and spiritual. It argues that the significance of a given experience is not located solely within any intrinsic quality but in subsequent constructions around the nature and meaning of the event.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 222 pages
Publication date: 02 August 2021
Publisher: Equinox Publishing Ltd

Play, Pain, and Religion delves into the practices surrounding BDSM (Bondage, Domination, Submission, and Masochism) within the realm of Religious Studies scholarship. Its central focus lies in exploring the intricate interplay between kink activities and relationships, shedding light on the unique experiences that emerge from these interactions. The book delves into practitioner accounts of BDSM experiences, alongside their personal connections to terms such as religious and spiritual. It observes that experiences categorized as spiritual by BDSM practitioners often share similar descriptions and hold equal significance as those that are not explicitly labeled as such. Consequently, the book posits that the significance of a particular experience extends beyond any inherent qualities attributed to it, instead being shaped by the subsequent interpretations and constructions surrounding the event's nature and meaning. By adopting a "religioning" framework, the book examines various ways in which BDSM can be incorporated into these processes, challenging absolute definitions of religion and exploring the religious as an active and dynamic process of meaning-making, world-building, and storytelling.

Weight: 342g
Dimension: 156 x 232 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800500297