Author Description

Scholars Of Religion Have Long Assumed That Ritual And Belief Constitute The Fundamental Building Blocks Of Religious Traditions And That These Two Components Of Religion Are Interrelated And Interdependent In Significant Ways. Generations Of New Testament And Early Christian Scholars Have Produced Detailed Analyses Of The Belief Systems Of Nascent Christian Communities, Including Their Ideological And Political Dimensions, But Have By And Large Ignored Ritual As An Important Element Of Early Christian Religion And As A Factor Contributing To The Rise And The Organization Of The Movement. In Recent Years, However, Scholars Of Early Christianity Have Begun To Use Ritual As An Analytical Tool For Describing And Explaining Christian Origins And The Early History Of The Movement. Such A Development Has Created A Momentum Towards Producing A More Comprehensive Volume On The Ritual World Of Early Christianity Employing Advances Made In The Field Of Ritual Studies. The Handbook Will Give A Manifold Account Of The Ritual World Of Early Christianity From The Beginning Of The Movement Up To The Fifth Century. The Volume Introduces Relevant Theories And Approaches (part I), Central Topics Of Ritual Life In The Cultural World Of Early Christianity (part Ii), And The Most Important Christian Ritual Themes And Practices In Emerging Christian Groups And Factions (parts Iii And Iv).-- Part I. Ritual Theory: Introduction: Ritual In The Study Of Early Christianity / Risto Uro -- Ritualization And Ritual Invention / Barry Stephenson -- Ritual As Action, Performance, And Practice / Barry Stephenson -- Ritual, Identity, And Emotion / Douglas J. Davies -- Ritual And Embodied Cognition / Eva Kundtová Klocová And Armin W. Geertz -- Ritual And Cooperation / Joseph Bulbulia -- Ritual And Transmission / István Czachesz. Part Ii. Ritual In The Ancient Mediterranean World: Ancient Sanctuaries / Rubina Raja -- Associations, Guilds, Clubs / John S. Kloppenborg -- Household And Family / Fanny D