The Craft of Ritual Studies (Oxford Ritual Studies)

"I'm hoping to provoke you into doing your own reimagining of ritual, its theories, and the methods for studying it - even if you do so against what I have written here." With these words, Ronald Grimes concludes the main body of his new book, The Craft Of Ritual Studies. It's a generous spirit with which to write a guide for students of ritual, and one that reflects the noncommittal approach that has come to typify the study of ritual.It's ironic that the academic tradition of ritual studies has become so reluctant to adopt any particular stance about how ritual works, or even what ritual is. Ritual, after all, is a practice that requires some form commitment - at least enough to translate abstract ideas into concrete action, and often a great deal more than that. Over the last few decades, ritual studies has wandered away from clear, inspiring metaphors into a misty territory of abstractions that often reads more like philosophy than a description of a form of human behavior.Such an approach is appropriate for academics, who specialize in sustaining intellectual debate. It hasn't produced much of use for those who would seek to apply the dynamics of ritual, rather than merely discussing ideas of ritual. To actually work in ritual requires more firm ground than ritual studies can offer.It's important, in reading this book, to remember that it is written for an academic audience - for students and professors whose goal is to publish papers, and perhaps books, with which to earn academic advancement. It is not written for consultants or managers who seek to learn about ritual so that they can craft more fruitful experiences. Those who would apply ritual dynamics are currently without a guide, and the Craft of Ritual Studies does not bridge the gap between academic study and practice.However, of all the books that have been written by specialists in ritual studies, The Craft Of Ritual Studies goes the furthest in providing concrete ideas about how to organize research of rituals. Unlike other books about ritual studies, which focus on ritual theory and on research findings, The Craft Of Ritual Studies explores the methods of research. So, while Ronald Grimes refuses to commit to any particular model of ritual, he at least provides those of us who seek to apply ritual dynamics with a set of tools for researching ritual activities, and for critically considering the models we adopt, not as final truths, but as solid methods for practice.The Craft of Ritual Studies is at its strongest in the lists that Grimes provides, which show the comprehensive scope of Grimes' consideration of ritual - a benefit of his decades of experience in the area. This book should be read by anyone who seeks to study ritual, either as an academic or in the application of ritual dynamics - not because Grimes always makes the most useful judgments about how ritual works, but because he has identified the most useful questions that students of ritual can ask.

This book is written in an engaging and very informative way. It lacks the pompousness of many scholarly writings, instead prioritizing the reader's understanding. You can tell it was written by someone who has put a lot of thought into HOW to teach, and it draws from a wealth of sources and experience to create a very comprehensive look at the field. It has incredible self-awareness as well, in terms of the author's exploration of their own work, the history of the field, and the impact - good and bad - that research in this field has on the subject. Highly recommend, even if you, like me, are simply interested in the topic rather than actually in the field.

A classic, which can still be used as a field guide/instruction manual.

No better book about contemporary ritual theory.

Very helpful-clear, insightful, and written with the student in mind