Profane: Sacrilegious Expression in a Multicultural Age

Profane materials. Blasphemy. Sacrilege. These are ideas you might expect to be relegated to years past, relics that have no place in a modern age. But these days, with news stories like the Dutch comics scandal and increasing religious tension across the world, the concept of blasphemy is alive and well.

Profane attempts to define what constitutes a sacrilegious act in the world of 2014, analyzing everything from art scandals to faith-motivated murder to gain a deeper understanding of how profane ideas crystalize in different cultures. Obviously, the book focuses mostly on religion, particularly Salmon Rushdie and the Dutch comics scandal, but other chapters focus on concepts of secular blasphemy (flag burning, gender roles, and curiously enough, didgeridoo playing) as well as lesser-known cases where blasphemy led to prosecution, outrage, and violence.

There is some overlap and repetition between the various chapters, but for the most part, Profane capably encompasses as many facets of this complex topic as possible, examining it on cultural, political, and personal levels. Hopefully this book will serve as a powerful conversation starter.