Description

Rituals are booming, whilst at the same time Christian churches have lost their monopoly on ritual and their traditional forms of ritual life have undergone significant transformations as well. In this volume, the contributors explore ritual change occurring within that field and outline research questions connected to it. Ritual dynamics are regarded paradigmatically in a thick description of the rites of the West-African "Celestial Church of Christ" and one Central European Evangelical worship service, whilst a look at Evangelical and Catholic wedding rites shows the diversity of ritual changes within "mainstream Christianity". Inner and post-Christian transformations and developments of rituals are identified, from family-based ritual practices to a culture of celebration that uses elements adopted from different religions. The volume concludes with fundamental contributions to "ritual experience" and changes in the landscape of Christian liturgy.