Rezension
«This ambitious set of essays expands our theoretical grasp of that slippery phenomenon, ritual. The editors orchestrate an impressive set of cross-disciplinary voices to suggest an analytical schema that can focus more directly on ritual as a dynamic social and communicative activity, as capable of generating social change as reflecting it – or opposing it. Articulating the possible forms that the inherent dynamism of ritual can take, this collection explores the complexities of distinguishing performance, context, and tradition, with special attention to ritual ‘framing’ by participants and by researchers. Using exemplary ritual situations drawn from historical and anthropological research – including carnival chaos, rebellions, scripted and unscripted historical performances, innovations, and traditions tightly held – this collection constitutes an inventory of many of the distortions imposed by our theorizing. It is a very useful contribution to the effort to develop tools for addressing a more dynamic understanding of ritual.» (Catherine Bell, Bernard J. Hanley Professor and Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA)
«‘The Dynamics of Changing Rituals’ is immense in scope; its contributions of the highest scholarly merit. They range from witchcraft exorcisms in Mesopotamia to the rituals of and in the contemporary media; from Balinese dance to ritual treated as war; from liturgical changes in the Catholic Church to the ritual failure of Mishima’s suicide. Though the contributions vary theoretically and methodologically in terms of their respective disciplines, they are all united in their concern for ritual change and the conditions that lead to that change. They challenge the traditional picture of ritual as conservative, steadfast, and timeless. As such, they are radical.» (Vincent Crapanzano, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Comparative Literature, Graduate Center of the City University of New York)
Portrait
The Editors: Jens Kreinath is member of a research project on Zoroastrian rituals at Heidelberg University. He is co-editing a forthcoming volume on theorizing rituals. Constance Hartung received her Ph.D. in theology from Jena University in Germany. Annette Deschner received her Ph.D. from Heidelberg University. She co-edited a collection of essays on the myths of creativity, Mythen der Kreativität (2003).
