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Axel Michaels: Homo Ritualis - Hindu Ritual and Its Significance to Ritual Theory

Oxford University Press veröffentlichte im Januar 2016 das Buch „Homo Ritualis - Hindu Ritual and Its Significance to Ritual Theory, welches von Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels (Leiter der Abteilung Kultur- und Religionsgeschichte Südasiens des Südasien-Instituts ) herausgegeben wurde.
Beschreibung (von Oxford University Press):
Are the richness and diversity of rituals and celebrations in South Asia unique? Can we speak of a homo ritualis when it comes to India or Hinduism? Are Indians or Hindus more involved in rituals than other people? If so, what makes them special? Homo Ritualis is the first book to present a Hindu theory of rituals. Based on extensive textual studies and field-work in Nepal and India, Axel Michaels argues that ritual is a distinctive way of acting, which, as in the theater, can be distinguished from other forms of action. The book analyzes ritual in these cultural-specific and religious contexts, taking into account how indigenous terms and theories affect and contribute to current ritual theory. It describes and investigates various forms of Hindu rituals and festivals, such as life-cycle rituals, the Vedic sacrifice, vows processions, and the worship of deities (puja). It also examines conceptual components of (Hindu) rituals such as framing, formality, modality, and theories of meaning.
14 Jan 2016
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