#12765. The Sacred and the Profane: Menstrual Flow and Religious Values

September 2026publication date
Proposal available till 13-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

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Journal’s subject area:
Cultural Studies;
Philosophy;
Sociology and Political Science;
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management;
Social Psychology;
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More details about the manuscript: Science Citation Index Expanded or/and Social Sciences Citation Index or/and Arts & Humanities Citation Index
Abstract:
Most religious texts and practices warrant the exclusion of women from religious rituals and public spheres during the menstrual flow. This is at odds with the very idea of ‘Religion’ which binds the human beings with God without any gender and sexual discrimination. The present article attempts to problematize the ascription of negative values on menstruating women prevalent in both Hinduism and Christianity. After briefly stating the patriarchal values that restrict women from participating in religious rituals during menstruation as seen from both these religions, the article highlights the alternate feminist perspectives in beliefs that positively value the menstruating bodies. Thus, the notion of profanity is revalued as sacred in these alternate religious perspectives. We then examine the connection between the notion of purity/impurity and menstruation and argue that what makes something pure or impure depends upon the archetype the society chooses to represent itself. In itself, nothing is either pure or impure in the sense of having a value or disvalue. This argument is exemplified through a feministic-hermeneutic approach to the religious practices in two major world religions. The article concludes by uncovering the patriarchal values held by religions as the cause of menstrual taboos in religious practices and argues that the notions of purity/impurity and sacred/profane are the results of the valuations made from a patriarchal or feministic perspective.
Keywords:
feministic religions; impurity; menstrual taboos; Menstruation; purity; religious values

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