The Privilege of Being Banal - (Class 200: New Studies in Religion) by Elayne Oliphant (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In the French public sphere, Catholicism remains a monumental presence. It defines the temporal and spatial rhythms of Paris and yet it often fades into the background as nothing more than "heritage" in an otherwise secular nation. In a creative inversion, Elaine Oliphant asks in The Privilege of Being Banal what, exactly, is hiding in plain sight? Is the banality of Catholicism a kind of power? Oliphant's focus on the banal is exceptional in ethnographic studies of religion, which tend to seek out the spectacular. Focusing on the unremarked entails a radical disavowal of the view that there is anything natural or inevitable in Catholicism's banality, and indeed Oliphant unearths the ongoing efforts that contribute to the perception of Catholic symbols as subtly secular. Exploring the violent histories and alternate trajectories effaced through the contemporary banal, this richly textured ethnography lays bare the profound nostalgia that undergirds Catholicism's circulation in non-religious sites such as museums, corporate spaces, and political debates. Oliphant's aim is to unravel the contradictions between religion and secularism and, in the process, show how aesthetics and politics come together in contemporary France to foster the kind of banality that Hannah Arendt warned against: the incapacity to take on another person's experience of the world. A creative meditation on the power of the taken-for-granted, The Privilege of Being Banal is a landmark study of religion, aesthetics, and public space"--

Book Synopsis

France, officially, is a secular nation. Yet Catholicism is undeniably a monumental presence, defining the temporal and spatial rhythms of Paris. At the same time, it often fades into the background as nothing more than "heritage." In a creative inversion, Elayne Oliphant asks in The Privilege of Being Banal what, exactly, is hiding in plain sight? Could the banality of Catholicism actually be a kind of hidden power?

Exploring the violent histories and alternate trajectories effaced through this banal backgrounding of a crucial aspect of French history and culture, this richly textured ethnography lays bare the profound nostalgia that undergirds Catholicism's circulation in nonreligious sites such as museums, corporate spaces, and political debates. Oliphant's aim is to unravel the contradictions of religion and secularism and, in the process, show how aesthetics and politics come together in contemporary France to foster the kind of banality that Hannah Arendt warned against: the incapacity to take on another person's experience of the world. A creative meditation on the power of the taken-for-granted, The Privilege of Being Banal is a landmark study of religion, aesthetics, and public space.

Review Quotes

"Informed by critical readings of Hannah Arendt, Hans Belting, Pierre Bourdieu, Jacques Rancière, Max Weber, and Simone Weil, this book is a landmark study of the role of materiality in the maintenance of Catholic privilege in a contested public sphere and a very welcome contribution to the debate on secularism."-- "Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute"

"In The Privilege of Being Banal, Oliphant has found a rich site to explore pressing questions of the privilege of Christianity in a secular age. Writing in the wake of the burning of Notre Dame, her vivid prose transports the reader into the nave, sacristy, crypt, and vaults of a monastery turned Catholic art space. Oliphant shows that the privileges of banality enjoyed by Catholicism require work, money, and the curation of history. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand the affordances of Christianity in debates about the politics of art and heritage in multireligious, self-declared secular societies."-- "Pamela E. Klassen, author of 'The Story of Radio Mind'"

"Subtle. Sophisticated. Engaging. In this book on French Catholicism, Oliphant offers a penetrating look at the intersections of art, religion, and secular modernity. In the best tradition of anthropology, she provides a kind of figure-ground reversal, revealing Paris--and the powers that be--in a new light."-- "Matthew Engelke, author of How to Think Like an Anthropologist"

About the Author

Elayne Oliphant is assistant professor of anthropology and religious studies at New York University.