Publishers Weekly
Why do mystics and devout laypeople in many different religious traditions glorify physical pain, some going so far as to ritually mutilate themselves in the name of the divine? In this erudite and wide-ranging study, Glucklich, a professor of theology at Georgetown University, offers a compelling explanation. Drawing on the fields of psychology, neurophysiology and religious studies, he observes that pain "the most familiar and universal aspect of all human experiences" affects both the body and the mind. Pain triggers an altered state of consciousness in which one's sense of self is diminished, creating an absence that can make way for a new and affirming presence. "The task of sacred pain," Glucklich writes, "is to transform destructive or disintegrative suffering into a positive religious-psychological mechanism for reintegration within a more deeply valued level of reality than individual existence." Although this state of transcendence exists across cultures, the way in which the experience is interpreted is culturally specific. To demonstrate this, Glucklich draws upon a wide range of examples, from the tortures of the Inquisition to Native American trials of endurance. He concludes by exploring what we may have lost with the development of medical anesthetics. This fascinating, closely argued study suggests that, in religion as in sports, there is no gain without pain. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Why do people seek out or endure intense physical pain in the name of religion? This question was posed to Glucklich (theology, Georgetown Univ.) by a friend, and this book is his answer. Steering clear of easy or reductive answers such as lunacy and superstition, Glucklich delves deeply into the various fields (psychology, physiology, philosophy, history, theology) that one must investigate to respond. He focuses on the effect of pain on the self and sense of identity and examines the various meanings pain can have for the individual, in contrast to the modern view of pain as an enemy and unquestionably undesirable. As he states, "Only religious language can describe how `bad' pain becomes `good' pain, though it is not only religion that brings about this transformation." This demanding book does justice to the complexity of its subject as Glucklich masterfully leads the reader through all the diverse paths that connect with the central topic. He is a skilled writer who presents complicated material well without sacrificing meaning or nuance. Highly recommended for academic libraries. Stephen Joseph, Butler Cty. Community Coll., PA Halpern, Baruch. David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A scholarly examination of the effect of ritual pain on human consciousness and identity. Glucklich (The Sense of Adharma, not reviewed, etc.), associate professor of theology at Georgetown, was prompted to explore the subject when an atheist friend and chronic pain sufferer ridiculed rituals of self-inflicted pain, asking "Why would anyone in his right mind do this?" Pain can be a good thing, Glucklich responds, transforming one's identity and strengthening one's bond with God. Sacred pain, he explains, can transform destructive suffering into a positive religious-psychological experience: under the stress of pain, it seems, the central nervous system reacts in a way that reduces the individual's sense of self, opening the path to new perceptions. Glucklich looks at how pain has been described and evaluated in religious literature around the world, discussing it within the context of rituals of possession and exorcism, rites of passage and initiation, and the tortures and executions of the Inquisition. (A word of warning: Some of these passages are decidedly unpleasant to read.) Our understanding of the constructive value of pain, he argues, has been hampered by the medicalization of pain. With the invention of anesthesia in the 19th century, pain came to be viewed as a medical problem and, as its neurological mechanisms have become better understood, its spiritual and religious aspects have been overlooked. Glucklich calls for a broadening of the perception of pain as a mere biomedical phenomenon to the view that it can be "a medicine, a test, a rite of passage, or an alchemical agent of inner transformation." Glucklich's thesis is not easy to accept, and his presentation ofit is, for the general reader, made more difficult by his frequent use of the special terminology of neuropsychology, psychoanalytic theory, philosophy, and theology.
