This collection of quotes reflects the profound and often contradictory ways in which the body is understood within religious and artistic contexts. From the Christian doctrine that frames the body as a temple to be honored and controlled, to Ruth St. Denis and Bill T. Jones who celebrate the body as a sacred vessel for divine connection and personal expression, the body occupies a central role in both spiritual and physical life. The biblical verses underscore the emphasis on the body as something to be disciplined, protected, and used for God’s purpose, often linking physicality with moral righteousness. On the other hand, voices like Susan Foster and Bill T. Jones push the idea of the body as a site of both autonomy and submission, where personal choices and societal norms collide. This tension between bodily restraint and freedom is at the heart of my capstone project, which explores how religious teachings and cultural norms have shaped my own experience of the body—both as a temple to be controlled and a vessel for personal agency and resistance.