The Hidden Powers of Ritual is an engaging introduction to ritual studies that presents ritual as an evolved form of human behavior of almost unimaginable significance to our species. Every day across the globe, people gather to share meals, brew caffeinated beverages, or honor their ancestors. In this book, Bradd Shore, a respected anthropologist, reaches beyond familiar "big-R" rituals to present life's humbler, overshadowed moments, exploring everything from the Balinese pelebon to baseball to family Zoom sessions in the age of Covid to the sobering reenactment rituals surrounding the Moore's Ford lynchings. In each ritual, Shore shows how our capacity to ritualize behavior is a remarkable part of the human story.
Encompassing both the commonly unlabeled "interaction rituals" studied by sociologists and the symbolically elaborated sacred rituals of religious studies, Shore organizes his conception around detailed case studies drawn from international research and personal experience, weaving scholarship with a memoir of a life encompassed by ritual. A probing exploration that matches breadth with accessibility, The Hidden Powers of Ritual is a provocative contribution to ritual theory that will appeal to a wide range of readers curious about why these unique repetitive acts matter in our lives.

- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted byĀ 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Preface
- 1āDiscovering the Power of Ritual
- 2āRethinking Behavior
- 3āThe Balinese Pelebon: The Ritual Dissolution of a Body
- 4āDo Nonhuman Animals Have Rituals?
- 5āRitual Combat: Gift Exchange as Revenge
- 6āTen Powers of Ritual
- 7āNostalgic Commemoration: Salem Camp Meeting
- 8āUnforgettable: The Mooreās Ford Lynching Reenactment
- 9āRitual Baseball
- 10āFamily Zoom: Virtual Rituals in the Age of the Internet
- 11āDoes a Ritual Always Have a Meaning?
- 12āHarnessing the Powers of Ritual
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- References
- Suggested Resources in Ritual Studies
- Index
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, weāve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere ā even offline. Perfect for commutes or when youāre on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access The Hidden Powers of Ritual by Bradd Shore in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.