Religion and Wrestling

Catalog description

Explores the relationship between religion and professional wrestling in the twentieth century. Through analysis of historical case studies, wrestlers careers and gimmicks, promotions, news coverage, journals, scrapbooks, and fan culture, we interrogate this thesis: that wrestling is a site and species of religious ritual. In what ways is it right or wrong? In what ways can we challenge or re-describe its categories? Religion, ritual, play, embodiment, and popular culture will be the objects of our analysis in this course, and we will pursue new understandings of their convergence and co-dependency in modern American history.