Ritual

Ritual studies today figures as a central element of religious discourse for many scholars around the world. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice, Catherine Bell's sweeping and seminal work on the subject,

?Hayder . . . outdoes herself, flip-flopping the supernatural and the explainable like a cycle of poison and antidote that will remain with the reader long after the final page.”?Booklist (starred rev

A pioneering anthropologist takes readers on a journey through the rich tapestry of human ritual―showing how and why our most irrational behaviors are a key driver of our success. “Important . . . and a true delight to read.” (Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy) Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery―until now. In Ritual, pathfinding scientist Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behavior.

This volume consists of a number of carefully-selected readings that represent a wide range of discussions and theorizing about ritual. The selection encompasses definitional questions, issues of inte

A signature cocktail of gore and suspense fused with elements of the occult have made Mo Hayder a rising star on the mystery circuit. Her latest, Ritual, delivers all the thrills her growing fanbase

"Ritual Imagination is a study of spirit possession and ritual dynamics. Based on fieldwork in eastern Madagascar, Hilde Nielssen shows how tromba possession works as a flexible and fluid force, whose

This collection of essays is the fifth volume in the Ritual Dynamics and the Science of Ritual series, and represents papers delivered at a conference by the same name in 2008 at the Ritual Dynamics R

Five volumes document the international conference Ritual Dynamics and the Science of Ritual, held in Heidelberg, Germany in September-October 2008. This fourth volume contains sections on reflexivity

This is one of five volumes collecting the proceedings of the international conference "Ritual Dynamics and the Science of Ritual," held in Heidelberg, Germany in September-October of 2008 and bringin

A horror debut by one of Britain's most celebrated up-and-coming writers, in which four friends get lost in a forest in Sweden, to find their lives are in mortal peril... as something evil lurks.When

As an initiate of both Yoruba and the Western Mystery Tradition, El Obatala is a reliable guide for people who want to create their own eclectic magical rituals. He combines Eastern and Western magica

Ritual is one of the most pervasive religious phenomena in the Tibetan cultural world. Despite its ubiquity and importance to Tibetan cultural life, however, only in recent years has Tibetan ritual b

Ritual is one of the most pervasive religious phenomena in the Tibetan cultural world. Despite its ubiquity and importance to Tibetan cultural life, however, only in recent years has Tibetan ritual b

"This volume presents a new approach to "ritual communication" by an international group of scholars from a multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective, rich with empirical data and path breaking

"This volume presents a new approach to "ritual communication" by an international group of scholars from a multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective, rich with empirical data and path breaking

This sequel to the first volume of Ritual Kinship (Princeton, 1980) completes a comprehensive account of one of the most pervasive and significant of Latin American institutions. Volume II examines th

This sequel to the first volume of Ritual Kinship (Princeton, 1980) completes a comprehensive account of one of the most pervasive and significant of Latin American institutions. Volume II examines th

This book examines ritual practices and public festivals in the Otavalo and Cotacachi areas of northern Andean Ecuador's Imbabura province. Otavalenos are a unique group in that they maintain their tr

There is a great deal of interest in bringing a better appreciation of ritual into religious studies classes, but many teachers are uncertain how to go about doing this. Religious studies faculty kno

Many teachers share an interest in bringing a better appreciation of ritual into their religious studies classes, but are uncertain how to do it. Religious studies faculty know how to teach texts, bu