What is Ritual?

The video explores the complexity of defining rituals, critiquing objective definitions by scholars like Victor Turner and the Encyclopedia of Religion. It emphasizes the importance of understanding rituals through their purpose, as suggested by Jonathan Z. Smith and Catherine Bell, focusing on how rituals differentiate actions. The Eucharist is used as an example to illustrate these concepts, highlighting the cultural strategies that distinguish ritual actions from ordinary ones. The video concludes by framing rituals as an assertion of difference, as argued by Adam Seligman.

What new insight or understanding did you gain from this video?