Transcript The Role of Ritual in Religion

The Role of Ritual in
Religion
Contacting the Divine
Ritual
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Contact the Ultimate Reality
Communicate with the Ultimate Reality
Communicate to others (public vs. private)
Help to develop relationship with the
Ultimate Reality
• Effect human transformation
Ritual
• “A patterned form of behavior, generally
communal and consisting of prescribed
actions and words.”
– Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy
Ritual Directed Toward the
Divine
• In religious ritual a person
seeks to to communicate
with the divine power
responsible for its
creation
• This desire permeates all
aspects of life and
therefore is not separated
from any event.
• Many aspects of a culture
had religious overtones-such cultivation of crops,
creation of tools, tribal
celebrations, etc.
Rituals (more)
• Many of the rites
performed had
religious implications
and therefore affected
their aesthetic value-i.e. they were
elaborate, beautiful,
and central to the
culture.
• “In many cultures the
religious aspects of every
event and act in life are
often celebrated in ritual
patterns; every religion
has also developed
specific patterns of
worship and celebration
to show devotion and
commitment publicly.”
Ritual: From Public to Personal
• There are not only
public rituals but
often personal
ritual patterns.
• The purpose is not
only to
communicate with
the divine but also
to aid in personal
transformation.
Ritualization of Ordinary
Activities
• Here is where a person recognizes the presence
of the divine in ordinary activities. For many
people the ritualistic patterns of everyday life
become a way to praise and identify the divine.
Rituals from Faiths
Buddhist Ritual and More
Sources
• http://www.avesta.org/ritual/navjote.gif
• Wallace Ben
• http://www.swanslaexpressions.com/baptis
m.jpg
• http://www.xs4all.nl/~cvdmark/hen-crm.jpg
• http://ccimg.catalogcity.com/200000/20060
0/200675/Products/new_beg_set_p.jpg