On Flag Day, a historian of religions in America explains how the Pledge of Allegiance, which honors the American flag, is part of American civil religion.
Articles on Rituals
Displaying 21 - 40 of 107 articles
Rites of passage are important. They do not merely celebrate the transition to a new state – they actively create this new state in the eyes of society, an anthropologist writes.
In ancient Rome, male followers of the goddess Cybele, known as Galli, some of whom surgically removed their testicles, were often considered feminine.
Ramadan encourages acts of charity. This also poses a question for many Muslims as they consider what more could be done to feed the hungriest in the world, many of whom are in Gaza.
Two scholars who study death rituals explain that the corpse is considered spiritually polluting in many religious traditions, while the Moon holds a sacred place.
A scholar of Hinduism explains the importance of the consecration ritual, which is believed to bring the presence of the divine into the temple.
A scholar of Daoist rituals explains how the indigenous tradition of China understands the human body as being part of the larger cosmos.
In emphasizing the church’s love for all, including people in LGBTQ+ relationships, the pope has sidestepped thorny doctrinal issues.
Yule, celebrated by Wiccans and many other Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21, the day of the winter solstice, is a time for reflection.
Through the power of rituals, inanimate objects can be understood to transform into agents who can see, hear, taste and respond to the concerns of those who worship them.
The philosophy of ubuntu means that good health is for everybody and disability is not regarded as a difference.
Across cultures, death rituals give mourners a chance to grieve. But they also offer one last opportunity to help the deceased as they transition to the next stage of existence.
Halloween’s influence is transforming popular festivities around Día de los Muertos and its ceremonial customs in rural and urban areas of Mexico in some fascinating ways.
A scholar who studies alternative expressions of spirituality visited secular, atheist and psychedelic churches and interacted with attendees. Here is what he found.
Efforts are being made to develop the capacity of Native tribes to manage bison and bison habitats. An Indigenous scholar explains their sacred significance.
Medieval monastics were often discouraged from owning companion animals, which were viewed as a distraction, a religion scholar explains.
Indigenous knowledge of spiritual protection could help fight crime.
The merging of technology and faith is sparking a transformative shift in redefining spirituality and religious practices.
Not quite, writes an expert on Christian worship. Chatbots do not have human experience of love – and, above all, they lack a soul.
People have died after taking the banned frog secretion Kambô, and even when things go right there’s a lot of vomiting.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Anthropology and Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut
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Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
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Professor of History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Affliated Scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University
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Professor of Public Theology and Director of The Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union
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Professor and Chair of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis, University of Southern California
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Associate Teaching Professor Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
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Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies, Texas State University
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Visiting Lecturer in Anthropology, Wellesley College
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Professor of Religious Studies and Cinema and Media Studies, by special appointment, Hamilton College
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Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
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University Professor and Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University
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Professor of Anthropology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences