Circumcision controversies
Male circumcision has been a subject of controversy for a number of reasons including religious, ethical, sexual, and medical.
Circumcision of Abraham's son Isaac. Regensburg Pentateuch, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (c. 1300).
The Christian sacrament of baptism, in covenant theology, is seen as fulfilling the Israelite rite of circumcision.
A restraining device used to immobilize infants during circumcision
A lobby against routine infant circumcision on Chicago's Pride Parade
Religion and circumcision
Religious circumcision is generally performed shortly after birth, during childhood, or around puberty as part of a rite of passage. Circumcision for religious reasons is most frequently practiced in Judaism and Islam.
Abraham circumcises his own penis - Circumcision of Abraham, from the Bible of Jean de Sy, ca. 1355-1357
"Scène de la circoncision de Jésus", a sculpture in the Cathedral of Chartres.
Ethiopian Orthodox children wearing traditional circumcision costumes
Rembrandt: The Apostle Paul, circa 1657 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)