Menstruation and Religion: Developing a Critical Menstrual Studies Approach

Abstract

Cohen develops a critical approach to menstruation and religion by showing how in both Judaism and Hinduism menstruation is part of larger purity systems concerned with defining the boundaries of identity and community. In so doing, Cohen moves beyond the question of how religious women meaningfully navigate compliance with menstrual practices and restrictions to draw attention to the ways religiously motivated menstrual practices create gendered roles and expectations and channel women’s sexuality for specific reproductive purposes. Through a comparative discussion of how the laws of Niddah in Judaism have evolved and a discussion of the different ways menstruation is linked to communicative states of being in Hinduism, Cohen explores how studying the intersection of menstruation and religion can contribute to better understanding how religious communities and cultures define and (re)produce themselves.