Religions mark out practitioners’ lives through rites of passage, from birth to death.
They provide rituals, encounters, and words to celebrate transitions such as baptism, circumcision, first communion, puberty, entry into a monastery, marriage, and death.
This exhibition space is made up of photographs and documents. Actor Francine Ruel describes her first communion in the 1950s.
Philadelphia, United States — In the Jewish community, boys are circumcised eight days after birth. The rite of circumcision, imposed by God on Abraham and his descendants, is a means of com¬memorating and reaffirming the alliance between God and his people.
© David H. Welles/CORBIS vers 1997
Kenya — Young Masai eat the carcass of a goat during a rite of passage that marks their entry into manhood. The Masai are among the African peoples who practise a tribal religion that is specific to them.
© Yann Arthus-Bertrand /CORBIS 1984
India — Hindu cremation in the Ganges River. Since wood has become scarce and expensive, not everyone can afford cremation.
© Bojan Brecelj/CORBIS 1960-1996
Most religions attempt to set boundaries on sexuality and to endow it with a sacral significance. A wedding, a solemn occasion where family ties are established, renders sexual activity legitimate, even sacred. The gods themselves are often invited to the ceremony.
© Roy McMahon/CORBIS, 2003
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