Body, soul, and bible : a religious history of nineteenth-century physiological reform.

The nineteenth-century American physiological reform movement was deeply religious. While historians have noted the moral or religious imperatives intermingled with reformers' dietary recommendations, few have examined why and how a movement to reform the body became religious and how that religious impulse manifested itself. This thesis therefore offers a close examination of the religious aspects of physiological reform, arguing first that a holistic or sympathetic theological anthropology undergirded the sacralization of bodily regimen. Second, this thesis demonstrates that physiological reformers relied on the Bible to promote their movement and that the Bible's dietary teachings were a substantial point of conflict between the reformers and other Americans. Finally, this thesis analyzes the reformers' hermeneutic, arguing that they read the Bible through the lens of physiology. They therefore clashed with the commonsense literalism with which their contemporaries read the Bible—a hermeneutical conflict the physiological reformers failed to win.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Riddle, Jonathan D.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hankins, Barry, 1956-

• Physiological reform.
• Vegetarianism.
• Teetotalism.
• Bible.
• American history.
• Nineteenth century America.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/8853

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/8853