Ritual, History And Power

Confucius. Buddha. Jesus. Muhammad. Four extraordinary sages who influenced world civilization more deeply than any other human beings in history. As just one measure of their importance, current rankings of the most influential people in history consistently put them at or near the top of the list. Four centuries after the rise of the scientific worldview, their influence in human affairs continues to be fundamental, underscoring issues ranging from questions of ethics and justice to religious and political conflicts to other issues that dominate today's headlines.

Fully revised and expanded with fresh insights, this new edition of The Elements of Ritual is a must-have resource on Wiccan ritual. Not only does it teach you step-by-step how to cast a circle, but it also explains why each step is important. Deborah Lipp looks at every phase through an elemental lens, revealing the process (earth), mythology (water), mystical inspiration (fire), and theology (air) behind it.

For the preconquest Maya, sexuality was a part of ritual discourse and performance, and all sex acts were understood in terms of their power to create, maintain, and destroy society. As postconquest Maya adapted to life under colonial rule, they neither fully abandoned these views nor completely adopted the formulation of sexuality prescribed by Spanish Catholicism…

This highly original study examines the history and religious life of the Ottonian Church through its ritual books.