Gesture Language as a Vehicle in the Expression of Emotion: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Use of Non-Verbal Expression in Monotheistic Gaudiya Vaisnava Tradition

Goffman Goes to Church: Face-Saving and the Maintenance of Collective Order in Religious Services

“…A ‘failure of demeanour’ in liturgical performance contains the possibly of leading to ‘unfulfilled expectations’ (p. 211). While many of our phenomenologically-inspired colleagues illuminate often complex processes during religious ritual (such as Squarcini 1995), they ignore the basic, commonplace mechanics of social cohesion that if not maintained and ensured prevent the sensation of self-transcendence, or being ‘pulled beyond the boundaries of one's self…[and experiencing] liberation from one's fixation on oneself’ (Joas 2008, p.7). Following Goffman's (1959) lead of explaining social life as theatre, we propose that the religious ritual be viewed as a collective endeavour where fronts are constructed, modified, defended, or abandoned during the life of the ceremony.…”