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Catherine Bell, Ritual.- Perspectives and Dimensions, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, xii + 351 pp. ISBN 0-19-511051-X (cloth) $60.00; 0-19-511052-8 (pbk.) $ 18.95

Catherine Bell, Ritual.- Perspectives and Dimensions, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997,... REVIEWS Catherine Bell, Ritual.- Perspectives and Dimensions, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, xii + 351 pp. ISBN 0-19-511051-X (cloth) $60.00; 0-19-511052-8 (pbk.) $ 18.95. ANDREW P. LYONS The author remarks in the preface to this book that it is not intended as a successor to her magisterial and provocative work, Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice, (Bell 1992). Rather, it is designed to express "a more holistic and pragmatic orientation to multiple dimensions of the phe- nomenon of ritual." In other words, the book might perhaps be seen as a statement about the entire field of ritual studies by one of its leading practitioners, reflecting the viewpoint that "talk about ritual may reveal more about the speakers than about the bespoken" (3). However, much of Rival is unconcerned with the recovery of such covert agendas. Perhaps, the author's aim is to produce a major textbook in her field, in which case one may legitimately question the nature of the intended readership. The volume is divided somewhat uneasily into three distinct sec- tions. In Part I, Bell provides a historical account of theories of ritual. In Part II she produces a typology of ritual forms and a list of char- http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Method & Theory in the Study of Religion Brill

Catherine Bell, Ritual.- Perspectives and Dimensions, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, xii + 351 pp. ISBN 0-19-511051-X (cloth) $60.00; 0-19-511052-8 (pbk.) $ 18.95

Method & Theory in the Study of Religion , Volume 11 (4): 421 – Jan 1, 1999

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1999 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0943-3058
eISSN
1570-0682
DOI
10.1163/157006899X00159
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

REVIEWS Catherine Bell, Ritual.- Perspectives and Dimensions, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, xii + 351 pp. ISBN 0-19-511051-X (cloth) $60.00; 0-19-511052-8 (pbk.) $ 18.95. ANDREW P. LYONS The author remarks in the preface to this book that it is not intended as a successor to her magisterial and provocative work, Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice, (Bell 1992). Rather, it is designed to express "a more holistic and pragmatic orientation to multiple dimensions of the phe- nomenon of ritual." In other words, the book might perhaps be seen as a statement about the entire field of ritual studies by one of its leading practitioners, reflecting the viewpoint that "talk about ritual may reveal more about the speakers than about the bespoken" (3). However, much of Rival is unconcerned with the recovery of such covert agendas. Perhaps, the author's aim is to produce a major textbook in her field, in which case one may legitimately question the nature of the intended readership. The volume is divided somewhat uneasily into three distinct sec- tions. In Part I, Bell provides a historical account of theories of ritual. In Part II she produces a typology of ritual forms and a list of char-

Journal

Method & Theory in the Study of ReligionBrill

Published: Jan 1, 1999

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