Table of Contents

Contents Include: Agricultural Rituals. Altered States of Consciousness. Ancestor Worship - Africa. Animal Rituals. Asceticism. Australian Aboriginal. Birth Rituals. Blood Rituals. Body and Ritual. Buddhism. Calendrical Rituals. Cannibalism. Catholicism. Chinese New Year. Christmas. Day of the Dead. Death Rituals. Divination Rituals. Diwali. Easter. Fire Walking. Food and Rituals. Gender Rituals. Glossalalia. Greco-Roman. Healing and Rituals. Hinduism. Hopi. Humor and Rituals. Hunting Rituals. Iban. Islam. Jainism. Javanese. Judaism. Magic. Mardi Gras. Marriage Rituals. Matsu. Mbuti. Melanesian. Micronesian. Millennialism. Music. Naming Rituals. Nature Worship. Navan Ceremony. New Year's Celebrations. Newala Ritual. Nuer. Oaths and Ordeals. Orthodoxy. Paganism and Personal Rituals. Pilgrimage. Political Rituals. Polynesian. Possession/Trance. Prayer. Protestantism. Puberty Rites. Purity and Pollution. Ramadan. Rastafarianism. Revitalization Rituals. Rites of Communitas. Rites of Passage. Ritual and Symbol. Ritual as Communication. Ritual as Performance. Ritual of Performance. Ritual Specialists. Rituals of Purity. Sacred Places. Sacrifice. Santeria. Satanic Rituals. Scatological Rituals. Secular Rituals. Shakers. Shamanism. Shintoism. Sikhism. Snake Handling

About the Author

Frank A. Salamone is a Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at Iona College, New Rochelle, New York. He has conducted fieldwork in a number of settings, including Nigeria, the United States, Venezuela, and East Africa. Salamone has authored over 100 articles and authored, edited, or co-edited more than 15 books.

Reviews

"A wonderful new addition... An excellent introduction... Accessible and wide-ranging... Students of history, anthropology, and literature will find this accessible work an excellent resource for broadening their research. Students of religion will find it a superb starting place for their studies. Everyone else will find here much to remind us of the beauty of our differences and the striking harmonies of all our lives. For all public and academic libraries."
-"Library Journal, September 15, 2004
"Contains an interesting combination of religious and anthropological information... Noteworthy is the inclusion of rituals and religious traditions less well known."
-Booklist/RBB (starred review), October 1, 2004
"A sociologically relevant discussion."
-"School Library Journal, December, 2004
"Offers strong multidisciplinary and global approaches... Suitable for all levels of scholars... The index is excellent... Highly recommended."
-"Choice, 2003
"Articles are extensive... Comprehensive index."
-TD Book Survey