PT Journal
AU Martin, HL
TI Dimitris Xygalatas' Scientific Study of Ritual. A review on Dimitris Xygalatas, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, London: Profile Books, 2022.
SO e-rhizome
PY 2023
BP 2
EP 9
VL 4
IS 1
DI 10.5507/rh.2022.001
DE ritual; religious ritual; scientific study of ritual; rituals and prosociality; the dangerous effects of ritual
AB Xygalatas identifies religious ritual as a special type of human ritualized behavior generally, the scientific study, of which, he maintains, is "in full development." While I have been less convinced that this is the case with any 'scientific' study of religion, Xygalatas has been a pioneer among those who have, in fact, engaged in a truly scientific study of religious ritual, both in the laboratory as well as, more interestingly, in the field. His overview of the state of this research, including his own, presents a wealth of investigative conclusions in an informative and engaging manner.
ER