The growing absence of meaningful ritual in contemporary Western societies that has led to cohesive research of the history of ritualizing behaviour and traditional events in different cultures. The relatively new field of ritology which includes neuroscience, anthropology, cultural psychology, psychotherapy, and even art and performance, raises questions about the significance and practice of ritual today. While there is widespread literature on religious rites and practice, this book is the first of its kind to discuss the importance of secular rituals for cultural and personal growth. The contributors will provide an authoritative account of the science and history of rituals and their role in creating healthy societies in the modern age.
1. The Art of Ritual and the Ritual of Art. Ellen Dissanayake.
2. Human Rituals and Ethology: A Scholar's Journey. Matthieu Smyth, Ritual Anthropologist, University of Strasbourg.
3. The Neurophysiology of Ritual and Trauma: Cultural Implications. Robert C. Scaer, Neurologist, Psychologist, Colorado, USA. Part II - SENSEMAKING IN LIFE EVENTS.
4. The Rhyme and Reason of Ritualmaking. Jeltje Gordon-Lennox.
5. Case Study: A Nordic Rite of Passage Come of Age. Jeltje Gordon-Lennox with Lene Mürer, Siri Sandberg and Inger-Johanne Slaatta (Norwegian Humanist Assocation), Marie Louise Petersen (Danish Humanist Society), Bjarni Jonsson (Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association), and Tuomas Rutanen (Finnish Prometheus Camps Association).
6. Multicultural Wedding Ceremonies: Venturing into the World of Diversity. Andrés Allemand Smaller, Journalist, Geneva, CH. 7. Case Study: A Funeral Ceremony for a Violinist. Christine Behrend, Celebrant, Pully, CH.
8. Case Study: A Memorial and a Wedding Rolled into one Humanist Ceremony. Isabel Russo, Head of Ceremonies at British Humanist Association, London, UK.
9. Part III RITUALIZING IN INTIMATE SPACES.
9. Ritual - A Resource for Health and Transformation in the Twenty-first Century. Michael Picucci, PhD., New York City, USA. 10. Sensing the Dead: The Role of Embodiment, the Senses and Material Objects in the Ritualization of Mourning. Joanna Wojtkowiak, PhD., Cultural Psychologist, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, NL.
11. Food and Ritual. Lindy Mechefske, Journalist, Ontario, CAN. Part IV RITUALIZING IN PUBLIC PLACES.
12. Commemorative Ritual and the Power of Place. Irene Stengs, PhD, Cultural Anthropologist, Amsterdam, NL.
13. New Ritual Society: Consumerist Revolution and the Rediscovery of Ritual. Gianpiero Vincenzo, Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania, Italy.
14. Ritual and Contemporary Art. Jacqueline Millner, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney, AUS.
15. Interview: Ritual Artist Ida van der Lee. Index.
This volume offers a much-needed roadmap for exploring a new territory: that of making sense of life through secular ritual, both in public and in private spaces. It offers foundational chapters and a number of useful case studies. It is a major contribution to the field of ritual studies and will be highly helpful to both scholars and practitioners.
