Encyclopedia of religious rites, rituals, and festivals /Frank A. Salamone, editor.
- New York, New York : Routledge, (c)2004.
- xiii, 487 pages : illustrations ; 29 cm.
"A Berkshire Reference work."
Includes bibliographies and index.
The sixth volume in the acclaimed Religion and Society series, the Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals examines religious beliefs expressed through ritualized behavior and festivals. Exploring expressions of faith across cultures and religions throughout the world, the 120-plus entries in this fascinating resource fall into five general categories: (1) General concepts and ideas--such as communitas, inversion, purity and pollution, and pilgrimage. (2) Major forms of rituals and festivals--such as rites of passage, devotional rites, sacrifice, calendrical rites, carnival, rites of conflict, and fasting. (3) Religious rites and festivals of major religions and cultural regions. Entries discuss variation within the religion/culture/region. (4) Life cycle rites including those associated with birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. (5) Specific rites and festivals--such as Easter, Christmas, Passover, Ramadan, potlatch, Ghost Dance, kava rituals, andsnake handling. With a generous complement of illustrations, and a variety of engaging sidebars throughout, this is a key resource for students at undergraduate and high school levels, as well as general readers. ~ Publisher.