Lecture 8

Question 1

What is rituals? - 3 popular views

Answer 1

Rituals are;

1) Religious
2) (Empty) routine
3) Tradition

Question 2

Rituals as religious;

Answer 2

Many rituals take place in a religious context
Many rituals even define the context to be religious

however there are also secular (non-religious) rituals
ex. covid-19 rituals

Question 3

Rituals as (empty) routine

Answer 3

“personal rituals” which are personal routines - lack any component of meaning

Catherine Bell: ritual distinguish itself strategically from everyday rituals

Question 4

Rituals as tradition

Answer 4

Rituals are usually passed from generation to generation

are unable to be changed (part of human heritage, carries authentic culture, however rituals are prone to change)

“Traditioning”

ex. Netherlands controversial black Pete

Question 5

Traditioning

Answer 5

“imaginative remembering” = authentication

Question 6

What is rituals

Answer 6

rituals are embedded in a moral framework
- in general the framework is ‘positive’ - rituals induce cohesion and solidarity within society

Cohen - “hurray” and “boo” words

Question 7

Hurray & boo words

Answer 7

rituals are usually seen in the ‘hurray’ dimension (similar to ‘community’)

• however hurray dimensions also conceal boo dimensions
• ex, exclusion

Question 8

Why are rituals important to focus on?

Answer 8

Rituals articulate societal dynamics in everyday life that arent that visible or clear

present day approaches to ritual foreground;

• focus on doing (practices)
• focus on media
• focus on material

Brunotte: mind/body dichotomy, belief/ myth/ thought comes first before action (ritual)

Question 9

Brunotte: The Myth-Ritual Debate

Answer 9

1) Rituals arose from that myth
2) Myth arose from rituals
3) rituals and myths are non-coextensive

Question 10

Rituals arose from the myth

Answer 10

1) primary: myth are used as an explanation for the world

2) secondary: rituals use that explanation to control the world

Question 11

Myth arose from rituals

Answer 11

Myth change while customs remain the same
history of religion tries to reconcile for old custom for new reason

• attempt to find a good theory for absurd practices

Question 12

Rituals and myth are non-coextensive

Answer 12

rituals and myths are independent of each other

however when working together they reinforce each other

rituals are more than communion with the sacred; it evokes communion with the sacred

Question 13

Mind/body: Ritual as performance

Answer 13

think of marriages

Fris Staal: ritual is meaningless – it is “pure activity”.