This book draws together a diverse array of material on "how the body is a carrier of deep psychological insights and sacred meanings." George R. Elder, a historian of religion, has chosen 100 color plates containing carved, sculpted, or painted artifacts from museums, caves, temples, and other sites around the world. The book is organized into twelve chapters devoted to body parts including bones, skin, head and hair, sex organs, foot and leg. Each of the color plates is accompanied by a four-page unit containing a cultural context commentary, an archetypal commentary, and a bibliography.
This erudite and wide-ranging scholastic work demonstrates the common humanity we all share, the imaginative ways human beings have interpreted their physical selves, and the vitality of sacred symbolism and ritual in different cultures. We were especially impressed with commentary on the evil eye, tattooing, the liver as a supposed seat of divination, and the overall theme of the book — the direct link between psyche and body.