The case for tattoos as religious practices. From footnote to survey indicator

Abstract

Most studies in the sociology of religion in the West ignored religious tattoos or understood them as marginal practices. However, people have been getting religious tattoos since the beginning of the common era. I investigate the lack of sociological studies on religious tattoos and explain the marginal location of tattoos for the discipline. I propose a lived religion approach to understand tattoos as a legitimate religious practice and explore the historical and contemporary record of religious tattooing in the West. Finally, I make the case for studying tattoos as religious practices in Western, Christian contexts, and as a way to assess contemporary religiousness.