Ritual and Religious Belief: A Reader

by Graham Harvey

Overview

The study of ritual and how it relates to beliefs and ideas is of central importance in our understanding of the world. Rituals can become divorced from beliefs and religious believers regarded as simply "going through the motions". 'Ritual and Religious Belief: A Reader' presents the full range of scholarly thinking on ritual and ritualizing as they relate to belief. It questions the assumption that belief should take precedence over outward behaviour and engages with questions such as: how are rituals related to performance; are politics ritualized; and is there a difference between rituals and etiquette? This comprehensive volume brings together material by eminent scholars from across the centuries, ranging from Martin Luther's sacramental dialogues to the life and routine patterns of Zen Buddhist Temples and the relationship between magic, religion and science. It will be of interest to all those engaged in the study of the dynamics between ritual and belief.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781315475714
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/28/2017
Series:	Critical Categories in the Study of Religion
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Graham Harvey is a Reader in Religious Studies at the Open University.

Table of Contents

General Introduction; Part 1: Exemplifying the problem; 1. Martin Luther: The Sacraments of Holy Baptism and of the Altar; 2. Reform Rabbis in the USA: The Pittsburgh Conference 'Declaration of Principles'; Part 2: Surveying the discussion; 3. Jonathan Z. Smith: To Take Place; Part 3: Relating ritual to actions and ideas; 4. Maurice Bloch: Myth; 5. Stanley J. Tambiah: Malinowski's demarcations and his exposition of the magical art; 6. Kieran Flanagan: Holy and Unholy Rites: Lies and Mistakes in Liturgy; 7. Ian Reader: Cleaning Floors and sweeping the mind; 8. Margaret J. King: Instruction and Delight: Theme Parks and Education; 9. Edward L. Schieffelin: Problematizing performance; 10. Peter Stallybrass and Allon White: Introduction; 11. Gerrie ter Haar: Ritual as communication: A Study of African Christian Communities in the Bijlmer District of Amsterdam; 12. David I. Kertzer: The Rites of Power; 13. Susan.S. Sered: Ritual Expertise in the Modern World; 14. Carlo Severi: Memory, reflexivity and belief: Reflections on the Ritual Use of Language; Part 4: Conclusion: Reflecting on our Categories; 15. Malcolm Ruel: Christians as believers; 16. Catherine Bell: Ritual Reification