Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Religion may be defined as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs," [1] whereas ritual is "an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or ...
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects. [1] [2] Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, but not defined, by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance. [3]
Max Weber focused on the role of ritual in religion and suggested that it played a crucial role in shaping beliefs and values. In the 20th century, the study of ritual became increasingly interdisciplinary, with scholars from anthropology, psychology, and other fields exploring its various dimensions.
Anthropology of religion is the study of religion in relation to other social institutions, and the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across cultures. [1] The anthropology of religion, as a field, overlaps with but is distinct from the field of Religious Studies.
Although the DMR theory developed out of research on religious groups, more recent research has found evidence that the ritual dynamics described apply outside of the religious domain, including amongst football fans and armed militias, [16] and that it may therefore serve as a more general theory of ritual and social cohesion. [4] [17]
The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic is an archaeological study of the material evidence for ritual and magical practices in Europe, containing a particular emphasis on London and South East England. It was written by the English archaeologist Ralph Merrifield , the former deputy director of the Museum of London , and first published by B.T ...
Such rituals often involve a participant who undergoes a staged death and resurrection. Harrison argues that the ritual, although "performed annually, was exclusively initiatory"; [14] it was performed on people to initiate them into their roles as full-standing members of society. At this early point, the "god" was simply "the projection of ...
Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the scientific study of religion. There is no consensus on what qualifies as religion and its definition is highly contested. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing empirical, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives