Ritual Circumcision Research Articles

Appunti sulla circoncisione rituale nel diritto ecclesiastico e delle religioni

SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa - 2. La giurisprudenza della Suprema Corte - 3. L’introduzione del § 1631, lett. d, nel BGB tedesco e la giurisprudenza di Colonia - 4. Risoluzioni e raccomandazioni del Consiglio d’Europa - 5. Il recente dibattito islandese - 6. Prospettive per l’Italia: necessita o ultroneita di una legge ad hoc? - 7. Osservazioni conclusive. Notes on ritual circumcision in Ecclesiastical and Religious Law. ABSTRACT: This paper deals with the delicate issue of ritual circumcision in Ecclesiastical and Religious Law. After having investigated the etymological origin of the word and reconstructed the history of the practice in question – distinguishing between circumcisions: a) therapeutic or prophylactic, b) ritual, c) cultural or ethnic – the focus is on the jurisprudential orientations of the Italian Court of Cassation. The solution proposed by the judgment of 24 November 2011, n. 43646, is carefully read and compared with the EU's law, the German legislation and the results of the recent Icelandic debate. Nevertheless, the absence of an ad hoc law on circumcision does not represent a vulnus in the Italian legal system, since the discipline can be found in the positive law in force, and even before in constitutional principles, as interpreted by the jurisprudence of merit and legitimacy. On the contrary, the essay raises the question that the introduction of a law on circumcision would not only be superfluous (for ethical and cultural reasons, even before legal ones), but also late.

Jews on the Frontier: Religion and Mobility in Nineteenth-Century America by Shari Rabin

Reviewed by: Jews on the Frontier: Religion and Mobility in Nineteenth-Century America by Shari Rabin Josh Parshall Jews on the Frontier: Religion and Mobility in Nineteenth-Century America. By Shari Rabin. (New York: New York University Press, 2017. Pp. viii, 193. $40.00, ISBN 978-1-4696-3883-6.) A historian of nineteenth-century American Jews faces two interesting challenges in writing an influential book. First, she has to make the nineteenth century matter to American Jewish history, which tends to overlook much of American Jewish life before the influx of East European immigrants that began around 1880. Second (and this reflects a general challenge in Jewish studies), she must make the story of nineteenth-century America's small Jewish population relevant to U.S. history or related subfields. In Jews on the Frontier: Religion and Mobility in Nineteenth-Century America, Shari Rabin accomplishes both tasks, arguing that (white, male) Jewish immigrants' experiences of radical, unfettered mobility in the United States provided the base-level conditions from which American Judaism developed, and that the flexible, eclectic, and improvisatory religious practices of these mobile Jews actually typify the history of religion in the United States. For Rabin, "congregations, denominations, coherent ideologies, and singular identities are not obvious starting points, but rather are particular strategies of stability that coexist and compete with others within a nation overrun by mobile strangers" (p. 2). Rabin organizes her book into three sections, each consisting of two chapters. The first section establishes the novel circumstances of Jewish life in the United States—characterized by unfettered mobility and religious voluntarism—and explores the challenges and opportunities that this new context provided. The second section takes up "distinct but intersecting spheres of religious life" to examine how individual Jews negotiated questions of belief, practice, and community in light of their recurrent migrations (p. 7). The third section considers how Jewish leaders (especially Isaac Mayer Wise and Isaac Leeser) responded to "the diversity and eclecticism of American Jews" with attempts to establish centralized institutions and formalized ideologies (p. 8). In these final chapters, Rabin asserts the long-term significance of nineteenth-century mobility as an "engine" of transformation that prompted American Jews (among others) to develop a "mobile infrastructure" and a "mobile imaginary" that could withstand constant movement (pp. 139, 104, 123). [End Page 161] Rabin's thematic structure helps her maintain a focused and convincing argument even as she pulls examples from across the continent and the century. The text introduces readers to a telegraph operator in Nebraska, a peddler in Georgia, and a mohel (a performer of ritual circumcisions) in Mississippi. The breadth of archival sources enlivens the book, and the frequent jumps between distant locales reinforce the sense of a century defined by mobility. At times, the sheer quantity of examples pulls attention away from the specific conditions of Jewish life in a given place and the distinctions of region, community size, or age of a city. Likewise, the text might benefit from more comparative discussions of non-Jewish religious life in similar contexts. As Rabin notes, however, her Jewish frontier is not simply the American West but a dynamic space of motion, interaction, and change that existed at once in small towns and larger cities, and the experiences of nineteenth-century Jews provide as good a starting place for exploring the religious consequences of mass mobility as anywhere else. Jews on the Frontier is a quick read with something to offer a variety of readers. As a classroom text, it will be accessible for advanced undergraduate students in related fields and will offer graduate students a model for expansive research, crisp writing, and clear argumentation. Scholars of American religion will find a compelling read that integrates Jewish experiences into a national story, and experts in Jewish American history will gain a fresh perspective on the nineteenth century. While Rabin does not dwell on the significance of regional difference, her overall analysis will prove valuable for southern (and southern Jewish) historians, and her thorough archival research will provide useful historical details while pointing to a rich variety of sources. Josh Parshall Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life Copyright © 2019 The Southern Historical Association

Banning ritual circumcision of children in Iceland

Iceland, a small island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, known for its respect for human rights and natural contrasts of fire and ice, a democratic republic built on the Nordic model in economic and social policies, made it into the world news in 2009 with its financial crisis and kitchenware revolution, and again in 2010 with the Eyjafjallajokull eruption which caused major disruptions of air traffic in Europe. Once again, Iceland has unexpectedly drawn worldwide attention, this time with...

Ethnobotany of traditional rituals in the Karangwangi Village, Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Erawan TS, Alillah AN, Iskandar J. 2018. Ethnobotany of ritual plants in Karangwangi Village, Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 53-60. According to Sundanese tradition, each Sundanese village community practice some distinctive traditional rituals in which diverse plants grown in different local ecosystems are used. The objectives of this study were to document the traditional rituals performed by the people of Karangwangi Village, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia and various plants used in these traditional rituals, by employing qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical approaches. To collect primary data, techniques namely observations and deep interviews were applied. The results of the study showed that 6 kinds of traditional rituals have been practiced by the village people of Karangwangi. These traditional rituals are locally named as srokalan (the traditional ritual of naming the baby), nikahan (the traditional ritual of wedding), nujuh bulanan (the traditional ritual associated with seventh month of pregnancy), nyepitan (the traditional ritual of circumcision), upacara pare (the traditional ritual of planting rice) and upacara nelayan (traditional ritual of fishermen before going to sea). As many as 26 species representing 17 families of plants are used in these rituals. The plants used in traditional rituals were harvested mainly from the homegarden systems and most of these species also commonly used as spices. As the plants used in the traditional rituals have been predominantly cultivated in the homegardens, these plants are indirectly conserved by the village people.

Scrotal injuries during neonatal circumcision

To report very rarely encountered scrotal injuries during neonatal circumcision. Hospitals and physicians in the authors' country are mandated to report circumcision complications to the Ministry of Health. Those reports include the discharge summary from the emergency room or the admitting department. This is believed to be the first case series describing scrotal injuries during ritual circumcision. Reports of all circumcision complications between 2007 and 2014 were evaluated. Retrieved data on cases of scrotal injuries included patient's age, time between injury and hospital admission, nature of the injury, and administered treatment. Twelve of a total of 489 reports of circumcision injuries involved the scrotum (2.5%). All circumcisions were performed during the neonatal period, and the infants were admitted on the day of injury. The only related genital injury was significant shortage of penile skin reported in six patients. Scrotal exploration and skin closure in the operating room was undertaken in six cases, five under general anesthesia. Suture closure in the emergency department was performed in three patients, and the scrotal skin was left to heal with secondary intention in three other patients. Scrotal content injury that extended to the tunica vaginalis of the testis was noted in one exploration. The injuries sustained by the 12 study infants were mostly superficial and are not expected to cause long-term damage, although half of the patients required treatment under general anesthesia in the operating room or under sedation in the emergency department. While all reported patients emerged unscathed from the anesthetic procedures, the possible immediate complications of anesthesia as well as its long-term effects are not to be taken lightly, especially when treating a newborn. Further education of medical providers as well as performers of ritual circumcisions may help lower the risk of this rare injury as well as other more severe complications. Scrotal injury during neonatal circumcision is rare. While half of the 12 reported patients required exploration in the operating room, the injuries were mostly superficial and did not involve scrotal content, although they often involved extensive resection of penile skin.

Urethral Meatus and Glanular Closure Line: Normal Biometrics and Clinical Significance.

103 male children were asked to participate in the study during ritual circumcision. Par-ents of 94 of them (mean age 5.9 years, range 0.6-13) accepted while remaining 9 did not. Glans biometrics were measured using digital calipers. 100% of the study participants had a vertical slit-like meatal opening located at the tip of the glans. The length of the meatal opening was 5.3 (± 1) mm and of ventral glans closure was 4.8 (±1.1) mm. Significant cor-relation between both the external meatal opening and closure lines lengths and age was observed. Moreover, the meatal opening size was correlated to the glans closure line as well (r = 0.36, confidence interval 0.14-0.54, P < .001). The site and size of the meatus opening in normal male children is consistent, and ventral glans clo-sure is equal to or slightly less than meatal length. These findings could aid in glanular reconstruction configuration during hypospadias surgery.

Can lichen sclerosus be diagnosed by preputial appearance or symptoms?

IntroductionLichen sclerosus (LS), or balanitis xerotica obliterans, is a chronic, inflammatory disease accompanied by cicatrizing skin conditions resulting in pathologic phimosis. LS can be detected clinically by the whitish appearance of the glans or the foreskin, thickened, nonretractable foreskin, dysuria, and spraying. However, diagnosis is confirmed histopathologically.PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate whether LS can be diagnosed on the basis of clinical manifestation and symptoms.Patients and methodsA retrospective analysis was performed, which included boys referred to our institutions for phimosis evaluation between May 2001 and December 2016. Pediatric urologists clinically diagnosed LS preoperatively. Boys with voiding problems, recurrent balanoposthitis, or who were unresponsive to topical steroid treatment underwent surgical treatment. Patients who underwent religious circumcisions were not included.ResultsThree-hundred twenty boys diagnosed with phimosis were identified, and 71 (22%) boys underwent surgery. Fifty-eight boys underwent complete or partial circumcision, and 13 boys underwent a dorsal slit or preputioplasty. Thirty foreskin samples were sent for histopathologic examination. Histopathologic evaluation showed evidence of LS in 13 of 30 (43%) circumcised boys, chronic inflammation in ten (33%), no abnormality in four (13%), dysplasia in two (7%), and acute inflammation in one (3%). In the 22 boys who were clinically diagnosed with LS, 13 patients had histopathologic evidence of LS (59%). Visually, eleven cases had whitish foreskins and 21 cases had thickened nonretractable foreskins, of which there were seven (64%) (P>0.05) and 12 (57%) (P<0.01) cases, respectively. These cases were histopathologically diagnosed with LS. Both whitish and thickened, nonretractable foreskin was observed in eight patients, of which seven (88%) (P<0.01) were also histologically diagnosed with LS. There was no correlation between histopathologic diagnosis and preoperative symptoms such as dysuria, ballooning, spraying, or penile pain (P>0.2).ConclusionIt is difficult to reliably distinguish whether a patient has histopathological LS by clinical findings alone.

Penile Median Raphe Anomalies as an Indicator of Megameatus Intact Prepuce Anomaly in Children Undergoing Routine Circumcision

ObjectiveTo arouse the suspicious for early diagnosis and hence, proper management of megameatus with an intact prepuce (MIP), as there is no external clue for detection of such cases, which usually come to light for the first time in a boy who is about to retract his prepuce or during neonatal circumcision. Materials and MethodsExamination of neonates and infants coming to circumcision clinic to detect congenital genitourinary anomalies. Evaluation of 12,518 neonates and infants coming for ritual circumcision from 2006-2017, who were examined thoroughly to detect any incidental congenital genitourinary anomalies. Fifteen of them were diagnosed to have a MIP anomaly. They were investigated to perceive any associated median raphe (MR) anomalies. Sensitivity, positive predictive value, specificity, and negative predictive value of MR anomalies in cases of MIP were estimated and compared with other children who had a normally positioned meatus. ResultsOverall incidence of MIP in this group of babies was 0.12%. Twelve of 15 cases (80%) with MIP had 19 forms of MR anomalies; mainly raphe deviation in 6 cases, hyperpigmented raphe in 6, prominent raphe in 4, and bifurcation in 3 cases. Three cases had a redundant long prepuce, and 1 had paraphimosis after preputial retraction, otherwise no other genitourinary anomalies could be detected in those cases. ConclusionMR anomalies, mainly deviation and hyperpigmented prominent raphe, are significant indictors for the presence of an invisible MIP anomaly. Abnormally redundant long prepuce may be seen in such cases, but this is not common.

The burden of hepatitis C virus in Cameroon: Spatial epidemiology and historical perspective.

Cameroon is thought to have one of the highest prevalences of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world (4.9% among adults). A marked cohort effect exists in several communities where ≈50% of the elderly are infected. Better assessment of HCV distribution is needed for planning treatment programmes. We tested for HCV antibodies 14150 capillary blood samples collected during the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey, whose participants were representative of the Cameroonian population aged 15-49 (both genders) and 50-59years (men only). Historical data on exposure to medical care were collected and factors associated with HCV assessed through logistic regression and geospatial analyses. To estimate prevalence in all persons aged ≥15years, we used data from the survey for the 15-59years fraction and modelled a cohort effect for older individuals. The nationwide HCV prevalence was 0.81% for the 15-49years group, and 2.51% for all individuals aged ≥15years. Only 0.2% of individuals aged 15-19 were seropositive. Among participants aged 15-44years, HCV was associated with age, rural residence and, for males, with ritual circumcision. For those aged 45-59years, HCV was associated with age and access to medical care in the late 1950s. Prevalence of HCV seropositivity in Cameroon is half of previous estimates. Nationwide surveys are essential to rationalize resources allocation. The high prevalence among older cohorts, a colonial legacy, has had little spillover into younger cohorts. HCV-free generations might be attainable in countries not plagued with intravenous drug abuse.

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

The Pentateuch: Exodus–Deuteronomy

The PentateuchExodus–Deuteronomy Christopher T. Begg, William J. Urbrock, and Michael W. Duggan 280. [Exodus 1–2] Catherine Vialle, "Des femmes à l'origine de la libération des fils d'Israël: Le rôle des femmes et des filles au début du livre de l'Exode," MScRel 74 (3, 2017) 5-17. The first two chapters of Exodus narrate how the children of Israel, having migrated to Egypt during a time of severe famine, increased and multiplied and were ruthlessly enslaved by Pharaoh. In the course of his campaign of genocide against the Israelites, the king ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all male babies at birth, but was thwarted by the midwives acting out of their "fear of God." Thereupon, the king commanded all his people to cast every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile. These are the circumstances in which the Hebrew child Moses was born. The future liberator of the Israelites owed his life solely to the group of women featured in Exodus 2. After reviewing the depiction of women in the two Genesis creation narratives of Genesis 1–3, V. focuses on the major female characters in Exodus 1–2. Specifically, she considers in turn the women figures of this highly ironic narrative, with its focus on the role of women, i.e., the two midwives (the only characters to be called by their names), Moses' mother and sister, and Pharaoh's daughter and her maids. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 281. [Exod 4:24-26] Michaela Bauks, "Exodus 4:24-26—The Genesis of the 'Torah' of Circumcision in Postexilic and Rabbinic Discourses," Ṣedaqa and Torah, 148-67 [see #697]. In her essay, B. points out that in rabbinic times circumcision was a central, albeit not exclusive, Jewish identity marker and a sign of the fulfillment of the entire Torah. Since, however, the symbol of circumcision did not originally have such a delineating and marking significance, in order to assume that significance it needed to be associated with the blood of circumcision whereby it is linked, as a sign of the covenant, with the Sinai Covenant and the blood rite that was part of this (see Exodus 24). The only Hebrew Bible text that mentions blood in connection with circumcision is Exod 4:24-26. According to B., the vagueness surrounding this passage made it possible to associate it with both Exodus 24 and Genesis 17. Rabbinic tradition expatiates on the "covenant of circumcision," seeing circumcision as a sign of the covenant by means of which identity and atonement are brought into connection. Circumcision is thus considered by the Rabbis as fulfilling all the commandments of the Torah, and is accordingly called by them the "Torah of circumcision." In this context, the term "Torah" refers to the single commandment of circumcision among other commandments; above all, however, it designates commitment to the covenant, which, in turn, brings about identity, atonement and ultimately a blessed life, and the sign of which is the rite of circumcision. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] [End Page 92] 282. [Exodus 32–34; Numbers 13–14] Fabrizio Zandonadi Catenassi, "A misercórdia em meio à violência no Israel pós-exílico: Ex 32–34 à luz de Nm 13–14 [Mercy in the Midst of Violence in Postexilic Israel: Exodus 32–34 in the Light of Numbers 13–14]," EBíb 33 (2016) 19-31. The story of the construction of the Golden Calf and the eventual divine forgiveness and renewal of the covenant is one of the most dramatic stories of sin, but also of mercy, grace, and goodness, in the Bible. The purpose of Z.'s article is to contribute to a fuller understanding of the theme of God's mercy as portrayed in Exodus 32–34 with particular attention to the theophany depicted in Exod 34:6-8 and the connection with the "spy story" in Numbers 13–14. Z. studies the Exodus 32–34 text on the basis of a social-science and literary approach, which highlights its postexilic structural features that are part of its development of the themes of divine wrath...

Circumcision and the Contribution of Unani Surgeons in the Development of its Operative Procedure-A Review

Circumcision is one of the oldest known surgical procedures which are practiced around the globe. During Circumcision foreskin of male penis is excised for social, cultural, religious and medical reasons. Ritual circumcision is one of the major determinants for its practice. Traditionally it is undertaken as a mark of cultural as well as religious identity and integrity. It not only improves penile hygiene but also reduce the risk of infections like urinary tract infection, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. It also reduces the risk of penile cancer when performed in neonates. According to an estimate one in every three males are circumcised worldwide. Although it is universally practiced but it is not clearly known how this practice came in to existence? Many theories and explanation have been given to answer this question. Before the evolution of the modern system of the medicine, the health system was fully dependent on the traditional system of medicine. Amongst them Unani system of the medicine was most popular. Physician and surgeons of this system of medicine laid down the concept of medicine and surgery and greatly emphasized on their progress. Like other surgical procedure, surgeons of Unani medicine made remarkable contribution in the development of operative procedure of the circumcision. The main aim of this paper is to review the global practice of circumcision, its historical background, its traditional and modern methods and the input of Unani surgeons in their evolution.

Australian fire ceremonies: Lartna and Engwura in the Arrernte tribe

Comparing the cycle of initiation rites in the Arrernte with initiation rituals in the desert tribes, we arrive at the conclusion that they are based upon an analogous symbolism of activities and ideas. The Arrernte initiations are therefore a transformation of the desert rites in which the ritual syntagmas are distributed differently. An example supporting this thesis is the use of tall torches of the witi/widi type in the circumcision rite instead of in the “proper” fire ceremony, the fact that they are not lit despite the presence of the symbolism of fire in the ritual songs, and the role of women in their destruction. The founding myth of the Engwura is at the same time a myth that introduces circumcision (Lartna), and both of these ritual activities are treated interchangeably in variants of the myth. The Engwura itself, as a fire ceremony, has to be considered the final and crowning phase of the initiation processes. It is characterised by the presence, shared with the Western Desert, of a symbolic complex in which a special role is played by the equivalence: adepts ≡ Eremophila ≡ torch fire. Due to the fact that use of Eremophila, on the one hand, refers to the symbolism of the monsoon season (the greenness of the plant) and, on the other hand, to fires of the dry season (the redness of the plant and associations with the emu), it constitutes an ideal operator for the initiation process.

Complications of Ritual Male Circumcision in Developing Countries

Complications of Ritual Male Circumcision in Developing Countries

Pre-Modern and Modern Male Circumcision Rites among the Tharaka of Eastern Kenya

Pre-Modern and Modern Male Circumcision Rites among the Tharaka of Eastern Kenya

Sing, eat, pray: transmission of tradition in Lemba communities in Southern Africa

ABSTRACTMost Lemba traditions and customs are transmitted by means of songs, chants, recitations, praises, proverbs, and prayers, in addition to written documents. Songs, recitations, and certain prayers could be described as poems or set speech; they form part of everyday language and are memorised. Others are sung, chanted, or prayed only on special occasions, such as the ritual slaughter of animals or during circumcision rites. The way the Lemba sing, eat, and pray expresses their unity and their conscious transferal and reinforcement of cultural and religious identity. It also reflects their understanding of their origin and the belief that their religious-cultural practices (embedded in an African culture) have been handed down to them from their Hebrew ancestors.

Informed consent and registry-based research - the case of the Danish circumcision registry

BackgroundResearch into personal health data holds great potential not only for improved treatment but also for economic growth. In these years many countries are developing policies aimed at facilitating such research often under the banner of ‘big data’. A central point of debate is whether the secondary use of health data requires informed consent if the data is anonymised. In 2013 the Danish Minister of Health established a new register collecting data about all ritual male childhood circumcisions in Denmark. The main purpose of the register was to enable future research into the consequences of ritual circumcision.DiscussionThis article is a study into the case of the Danish Circumcision Registry. We show that such a registry may lead to various forms of harm such as 1) overreaching social pressure, 2) stigmatization, 3) medicalization of a religious practice, 4) discrimination, and 5) polarised research, and that a person may therefore have a strong and legitimate interest in deciding whether or not such data should be collected and/or used in research. This casts doubt on the claim that the requirement of informed consent could and should be waived for all types of secondary research into registries. We finally sketch a new model of informed consent – Meta consent – aimed at striking a balance between the interests in promoting research and at the same time protecting the individual.SummaryResearch participants may have a strong and legitimate interest in deciding whether or not their data should be collected and used for registry-based research whether or not their data is anonymised.

オスマン帝国の「王の祝祭」にみる政治文化 : 1530年と1582年の割礼祭の比較

オスマン帝国の「王の祝祭」にみる政治文化 : 1530年と1582年の割礼祭の比較

Penile allotransplantation for penis amputation following ritual circumcision: a case report with 24 months of follow-up

Ritual circumcision complicated by gangrene is a leading cause of penile loss in young men in South Africa. This deeply rooted cultural tradition is unlikely to be abolished. Conventional reconstructive techniques using free vascularised tissue flaps with penile implants are undesirable in this often socioeconomically challenged group because donor site morbidity can hinder manual labour and vigorous sexual activity might lead to penile implant extrusion. The psychosociological effects of penile loss in a young man are devastating and replacing it with the same organ is likely to produce the maximum benefit. We first performed a cadaver-to-cadaver penile transplantation as preparation. After approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee was obtained, we recruited potential recipients. We screened the potential participants for both physical and psychological characteristics, including penile stump length, and emotional suitability for the procedure. A suitable donor became available and the penis was harvested. We surgically prepared the penile stump of the recipient and attached the penile graft. Immunosuppression treatment with antithymyocyte globulin, methylprednisolone, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone were commenced. Tadalafil at 5 mg once per day was commenced after 1 week as penile rehabilitation and was continued for 3 months. We collected on quality-of-life scores (Short Form 36 version 2 [SF-36v2] questionnaires) before surgery and during follow-up and measured erectile function (International Index for Erectile Function [IIEF] score) and urine flow rates at 24 months post transplant. The warm ischaemia time for the graft after removal was 4 min and the cold ischaemia time was 16 h. The surgery lasted 9 h. An arterial thrombus required urgent revision 8 h after the operation. On post operative day 6, an infected haematoma and an area of proximal skin necrosis were surgically treated. The recipient was discharged after 1 month and first reported satisfactory sexual intercourse 1 week later (despite advice to the contrary). The recipient reported regular sexual intercourse from 3 months after the operation. An episode of acute kidney injury at 7 months was reversed by reducing the tacrolimus dose to 14 mg twice per day. At 8 months after surgery, the patient had a skin infection with phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria alternata, which we treated with topical antifungal medication. Quality-of-life scores improved substantially after the operation (SF-36v2 mental health scores improved from 25 preoperatively, to 57 at 6 months and 46 at 24 months post transplant; physical health scores improved from 37 at baseline to 60 at 6 months and 59 at 24 months post-transplant). At 24 months, measured maximum urine flow rate (16·3 mL/s from a volume voided of 109 mL) and IIEF score (overall satisfaction score of 8 from a maximum of 10) were normal, showing normal voiding and erectile function, respectively. Penile transplantation restored normal physiological functions in this transplant recipient without major complications in the first 24 months. Department of Health, Western Cape Government.

In Search of Real Circumcision: Ritual Failure and Circumcision in Paul.

This article applies the theoretical framework of ‘ritual failure’, a sub-discipline of ritual criticism, to Paul’s discussion of circumcision in his letter to the Galatians, Philippians and Romans. It is argued that the application of this theoretical perspective clarifies the dynamics at stake and provides a new way of understanding the development in Paul’s position regarding circumcision. There is movement from an attitude of strong propagation, by way of indifference and a subsequent attitude of rejection, to one of modified reintegration into Paul’s thinking. At every turn of this development, ritual failure plays a pivotal role and functions as a catalyst for the development of Paul’s theology.