Contents; ONE: Myth or Ritual: Questions of Origin and Essence; TWO: Ritual and Society: Questions of Social Function and Structure; THREE: Ritual Symbols, Syntax, and Praxis: Questions of Cultural Meaning and Interpretation; FOUR: Basic Genres of Ritual Action; FIVE: Characteristics of Ritual-like Activities; SIX: Ritual Density; SEVEN: Ritual Change; EIGHT: Ritual Reification; Notes; References; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z.
Responsibility: Catherine Bell.

This work offers a practical introduction to ritual and its study. It presents comprehensive overviews of the most influential theories of religion and ritual, the major categories of ritual activity, and develops its own distinctive position regarding the nature of ritual.