RLG101H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Rites, Incisor
Document Summary
Rituals perform the same functions in indigenous cultures that they do in every culture. They identify and remind us of what is important in life or more precisely, what the culture we live in understands to be important. In religious terms, their explicit purpose is to communicate in some way with gods, ancestors, or spirits. At the same time, rituals also remain rooted in very human needs and relationships. Jews and muslims observe kosher and halal regulations; many buddhists set a portion of each meal aside in a shrine for their ancestors, and the anishinaubae traditionally put a small amount of food in a dish for the spirits. Other rituals are more complex and much less frequent, marking critical moments in the life of individuals (birth, marriage, death), sometimes these rituals mark transformations, and sometimes they help to bring transformation about.
