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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Worship and Ritual

Ritual

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈrɪtʃuəl/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, ritual means: A set of actions, words or gestures performed in a fixed, repeated way, often with symbolic or religious meaning, such as a prayer service, a wedding or a funeral.

In Turkish: ritüel, ayin, tören

How it is used

A key analytical word in anthropology and sociology of religion: scholars perform ritual analysis and talk about ritual action, ritual purity and ritual space. It is also an adjective (ritual washing, ritual slaughter). In Turkish academic writing 'ritüel' is the usual term; 'ayin' sounds more liturgical.

Example sentences

  1. Ritual washing before prayer is described in detail in the legal manuals.

  2. Her fieldwork looks at how funeral rituals changed in migrant communities.

Common collocations

  • religious ritual
  • perform a ritual
  • ritual purity
  • funeral rituals
  • ritual practice
  • rite of passageA ritual that marks a person's move from one stage of life or social status to another, such as birth, coming of age, marriage or death.
  • worshipThe acts of honour, prayer and devotion that believers direct towards God or the divine, either privately or together with others.
  • sacramentIn Christianity, a sacred rite believed to be a visible sign through which God's grace is given, such as baptism and the Eucharist.
  • liturgyThe fixed order of words, prayers and actions used in public worship, especially in Christian churches; also a particular service, such as the Divine Liturgy.

More terms: Worship and Ritual

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