Purity and Danger

Purity and Danger (1966) presents a framework for understanding different societies and religions according to what they find pure and sacred and what they consider unclean and out of place. Cultures organize their experiences, values, and worldview into binary categories: either something is “dirty” and does not belong, or it is pure or holy. Sometimes, something – or someone – is both or neither. By looking at how other cultures make these distinctions, you can become more aware of how your own is organized.

• Cultural theory and anthropology students looking for an introduction to Douglas’s works
• Anyone interested in comparative religion
• Curious-minded people hungry for a new perspective

Mary Douglas (1921-2007) was a British anthropologist and cultural theorist, in addition to a professor of anthropology at University College London and Princeton University. She is primarily known for her work on symbolism in human cultures and on her field research on the Lele people of the Kasai-Occidental. Douglas is the author of numerous books and collections of essays, including Natural Symbols (1970), Risk and Culture (1980), and How Institutions Think (1986).