Holy rites are like dramas: they employ words, gestures and objects (props)

1. They are hirophanies: the sacred is present objectively or symbolically

• Presentational: the sacred is understood to be present (embodied) in the ritual action and/or objects used:

e.g., Eucharist in RC church

Presentational rites are "sacraments", making present the sacred, both objective (in the objects) and subjective (in the understanding of the subject - us) - sacred power is believed to be present in the rite itself, not just in the participant

• Representational: ritual acts and objects are symbolic of the sacred, (non-embodied), present only in the minds (understanding) of the participants:

e.g., Eucharist in Protestant churches

primarily subjective (the sacred power is present only in us, the subject - focused on how the ritual affects us inwardly)

2. Holy rites are performative: how the sacred is involved - through the use of magical and/or sacramental acts

• There is a transformative power in the ritual

e.g., words and actions of qualified priest to transform bread and wine in RC communion meal - it is believed there is power in the words, gestures and performer to transform these ordinary objects into sacred substances

• both human and Divine power participate in such rites:

• sacramental = God’s action makes it sacramental. A sacrament is a "gift from God" ("other power"). God makes the change, the transformation is freely given. Man responding to God’s activity. We allow God to be present (humans as passive recipients)

• magical = human action makes it magical. Magic is humans seeking transformative power on our own ("self power"). Man makes the change (by manipulating objects), coercing the forces that be. The impersonal "powers that be" responding to man’s activity. We make the sacred power present (humans as active agents).

• Sacrament: the meaning of the ritual is important to focus our awareness on the sacred

• Magic: the ritual itself works as magic even without meaning, without our understanding of how it works (we only need to understand what to do, not how or why it works to bring about the desired effect/change)

• sacrament: the sacred is directly in contact with the people

• magic places another person (priest, shaman, medium) between the people and the sacred

3. Holy rites are repetitive: repeating, re-creating, re-enacting past events in a people’s history:

e.g., Jesus’ last supper with his disciples re-enacted every Sunday in the Mass

e.g., 1^st Passover relived every year in the Passover meal (seder).

• Presentational rites are reenactments of the original event - those remembering the event are reliving it, participating in it:

e.g., Passover meal: "When we were slaves in Egypt"

• Representational rites are symbolic commemorations of the original event by which humans remember their past (memory is in mind only, not in the reliving of the event):

e.g., various Passover foods as symbolic

• any rite may be presentational or representational depending on how the participants interpret it:

e.g., RC (presentational) vs. Protestant communion (representational)

or a combination of the two:

e.g., Muslims on pilgrimage re-create, re-live participate in past events from life of Hagar, Ishmael and Abraham [circle Ka’ba, run back the forth] but also perform symbolic acts like "stoning the devil"

• Connection across space (in present time): generally performed in public, by or before a group of people. But even ritual activity done in private is also done by others so there is still a communal link between all people who perform the same rite.

• Connection across time (to the past): repetition of rites connects the present day community to those in past generations who also performed the same ritual and passed it on to the next generation. Such rites are a community’s link to its ancestral past.

Three categories of Holy Rites: Transparency

• Birth (e.g., christening, infant baptism, bris/circumcision)

• Coming of age/puberty - transition to adolescence (e.g., bar mitzvah, confirmation, circumcision, graduation?)

• Marriage

• Death (burial and mourning rites, anniversary of death)

• dependent on natural life (determined by nature)

• centered around one individual

• at different times for each person

• repeated once, at any time during the year

• happen automatically to everyone (even if not celebrated)

2. Status elevation:

• Change in occupation/vocation (e.g., ordination, graduation?)

• Initiation into a community/society (e.g., adult baptism, induction)

• Taking office (e.g., coronation, presidential inauguration, installation, investiture, graduation)

• dependent on social life (determined by humans)

• centered around one individual (sometimes many)

• at different times for each person

• repeated as many times, at any time as warranted by change in circumstances

• optional: do not happen to everyone

2. Calendrical rites: celebrations of time

Distribute: "Holidays and Religious Observances"

• seasonal: linked to nature: earth and sky (carry over from archaic, nature based religions)

• earth: harvest festivals: animals (migration and birthing patterns) and plants (planting and harvesting)

• sky: cycles of sun (solstice and equinox celebrations) and moon (new and full moons)

• periodic: linked to human history

• annual holidays, weekly (e.g., Sabbath) or daily (e.g., prayer) observances

• recreation or commemoration of momentous events in history of a people (Passover = Exodus from Egypt; Chanukah = rededication of Temple; Christmas = Jesus birth; Easter = Jesus resurrection; Birth and death of founders of various religions: Buddha, Muhammad, Mahavira, Baha’u’llah, etc.)

• annual holidays often linked to older, seasonal celebrations (e.g., Spring festival = Passover, Easter; Winter Solstice = Christmas)

• dependent on natural and/or historical time (measured by nature or humans)

• centered around the entire community

• all celebrate at the same time

• regular repetition: repeated many times, at specified times

3. Special Rites for special occasions, specific reasons (e.g., healing ceremony, for success, for safe journey, etc.)

• dependent on need

• for individual or group/community

• irregular repetition: many times, at any time as warranted by circumstances