Fátima Matos Silva, Helena Albuquerque, and Isabel Borges, professors and researchers, present the book “Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time.”
The book brings together 13 articles by 30 researchers from Portugal, Turkey, Spain, China, Italy, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, exploring the various ways in which religiosity is expressed through material culture.
“The materialisation of religiosity has been expressed since prehistoric times through material culture. This material culture is a tangible embodiment of faith, communicating the diversity of human spiritual experiences and encompassing a wide range of objects, structures, symbols, and practices that shape religious identities and reflect the evolution of human society. This interaction between religious beliefs and their material expressions makes it possible to understand the role of religion in shaping human culture and identity,” the editors explain.
This book is expected to have a “lasting impact on the scientific community, motivating other researchers to pursue these themes, recognising the importance of this materialisation in the knowledge of different religions, as well as in safeguarding this rich and diverse heritage for future generations.”
