Ritual TheorY; Birth and Death 2.14.17
Review: Thinking about Religion Topics in Religion Defining Religion - Bruce Lincoln Religion and Globalization - Peter Berger Creation Stories Mircea Eliade — Sacred vs Profane space Rosemary Ruether — Creation stories are blueprints for society and mandate values on the future
Review: Religious Texts & Creation Stories Purusa Sukta (Vedas - Hindu) The Life Story of the Buddha (Pali Canon - Buddhist) Genesis 1-3 (Hebrew Bible - Jewish) Gospel According to Mark (Christian Bible - Christian) Selections of Sura 2 & 7 (Qu’ran - Islam)
What are some types of ritual? From sacred or profane world?
Kinds of Rituals Eucharist Calendar Rituals Life Cycle Rituals Daily Weekly Monthly Yearly Life Cycle Rituals Birth Coming of age Marriage Death Special Occasion Rituals Ordination Exorcism Eucharist
O Brother Where Ar’t Thou Functions of Ritual Orients participants to space and time Connects participants to the divine Connects participants to a larger community Includes the body as an instrument for religion O Brother Where Ar’t Thou Delmar’s Baptism
Birth Rituals: Brit Milah (Jewish) Arlene Rossen Cardozo: Birth Is author emic or etic? Naming ceremony gender watchnight location covenant “Covenant of Circumcision” — video
Genesis 17:10-14 “This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you; every male among you shall be circumcised…He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, ad it shall be a sign of the covenant between you and me…any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskins shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
What kind of ritual is it? choose all that apply
Brit Milah How does it display four functions of ritual? connection to divine connection to community sacred space / time uses the body