RITUAL AND ROLE-WPS Office

RITUAL AND ROLES
 Is a set of formal actions or behaviour with a ceremonial perfomed at regular intervals

within a particular environment
ROLES
 Teaching people how to belong to a particular group, religion and community.

 Ritual is a series of action using the body/ actions carried out in a set repeated every
time the ritual is conducted.
 People learn what actions to take and what to do with their bodies.
 people taking part in a ritual are usually not aware that they are learning, they just learn
that this is the way it is done that it's normal.
 when studying rituals we have to look at both their hidden and obvious purpose and
functions. They teach us who should be hogh and who should be low, In some religions
woman are not allowed in the worship places. In this example 'male' and 'in' privileged.
 Ritual is used in worship of the divine God/the spirit world and to make important rite of
passage[mark important changes in a persons life.....
 Reminding the participant of their identity that they belong to that particular group
 Reminding them of their status in a group
 Reminding them of the overview, teaching and value of the group
 Emphasing the seriousness of the change that is taking place
BIRTH
 AFRICAN RELIGION
 The xhosas birth ritual (imbeleko) takes place as soon as the baby is born, Clan members gather
in the cattle kraal, where an animal is sacrificed, The animal skin is kept for the baby to sleep on
especially when he/she is sick or needs comfort, this ritual introduces the baby into the clan
including the ancestors.
 ISLAM
 The first word a Muslim baby must hear are the adham, the call to the prayer, whispered into its
ear soon after birth. On the seventh day there is a special ceremony in which the baby's head is
shaved. Traditionally the hairs weighs in gold is given to the poor.
 HINDU
 In many Hindu traditions, when a child is born prayers are chanted to ward off evil spirits. On
the twelfth day the is a naming ceremony and than other rituals follow.
 JEWS
 Jewish babies are often brought to the synagogue and introduced to the Congress. Boy babies
are circumcised in a special ritual (a bris)when they are 8days old.
 CHRISTIANITY
 babies are baptised as a way of introducing them in the Christian community, this takes place at
a ritual during which the baby's head is arorriated with water,it is given its name, the parents
promise to bring them up as Christians.
DEATH
 A person who has died goes into the unknown there are rituals to make sure that he or she
moves safely into the next stage of the after life. Almost every religions teach that there is
another stage after life, usually involving some kind of spirit world or form.
INITIATION
 Many societies mark the transition from child to adulthood with special rituals, for girls these
rituals take place after menstruation begins. some a young person must undergo ordeals to
prove that he can cope with the challenges of adulthood. In some male circumcision is still
practised, Modern urban western societies its hardly noticed.
FIVE TYPES OF RITUALS
 Worship ritual: Rituals performed frequently to express one's feeling.

 Life-cycle worship: Rituals connected with different stages of an individuals life.
 Annual cycle: Ritual that take place at a particular time of the year.
 Commemorative rituals: Rite of celebration and memorial.
 Sacrificial ritual: Include sacrifice as part of their rituals.
ROLES OF RITUALS
 Social roles: Have important social function, brings people together with common beliefs and
interests, these people celebrate and remember their history.
 Psychological roles: Satistfy a part of being human that cannot be explained logically, some put
flowers on a grave not done for the person who has died or for others to see but to satisfy a
deep personal need, the need for rituals seems to have originated in the right hand side of the
brain.
 Spiritual roles: Performed to strengthen ties of people and the divine, the intention is to bring
together this world and the divine,different types of rituals give different meanings to different
ceremonies within the faith.
THEORIES
 Are attempts at explaining what has happened

 FUNCTIONALIST THEORY
 A famous French sociologist EMILE DURKHIEM(1858-1917)suggested that the purpose of a
religion is to help keep order in social life, necessary for maintaining harmony in society,,,
Sociologist and theologian J MILTON YINGER(1916-2011) suggested that religion help people's
hopes and meaning in the face meaningless, evil and suffering, religion is more about believing
in something than the object,, according to him there does not have to be a supernatural being
so if people believe in something outside and helps them find answers then it is a religion,,,some
argue that the has to be supernatural dimension otherwise anything can be considered a
religion nd the term will become meaningless.
 CONFLICT THEORIES
 See religion as playing a negative role in society and even leading to conflict, they say social
system like religion promote inequalities even through force, although they agree religion was
created to fulfill basic human needs, they see that this purpose has changed religion now
supports the wealthy,, they say religion exclude women from religious power, they challenge
how sculptures and religious are interpreted to support pertriacy.
NARRATIVES AND MYTHS
 NARRATIVES
 Are an account of events and experience that are important to a religion and also have a
purpose of moral teaching, Tell about important event in a religion history based on historical
events, Tell stories that explain their understanding of the meaning of life and death of
beginning of their beliefs about a spirit world or a divine being.
 MYTHS
 Are stories that contain metaphorical and historical material, explain natural events, history of
people and how they came to into being.
 Are stories that have happened or not happened?, their purpose is to teach valuable lessons,,
don't always deal with facts but they have important message ,, they teach people how they
should behave towards God and to each other, help people understand how the world function
and works.o
 CREATION MYTH - Is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people came to
inhabit it.
 HERO/FOUNDER LEGEND - Myths in which man/women triumphs over obstacles.
 MYTHS OF THE MOTHER GODDESS-
 MYTHS AND GREAT FLOOD-
 STORIES THAT EXPLAIN NATURAL PHENOMENAL-
SYMBOLS
 CHRISTIAN - Icon of the cross, on which Jesus was crucified, represent Jesus victory over death,
reminds Christians that Jesus died for them, to save humanity from their sin, represents the
central belief of Christianity,, water is another important symbol that represents the beginning
of life in earth and beginning of earth.
 AFRICAN RELIGION - African beer clay pot icon symbol/people drink from it when seated in the
kraal drinking home-brewed beer called 'umqombothi', associated with rituals about birth, living
and death,, associated with ancestors, spear is what is used to slaughter or kill a cow,, cattle
kraal built for cattles,, use rondovel for the burning of incense.
PAN-AFRICANIST-NON-PROFITABLE ORGANISATION
 Founded in 2002, to unite religious communities across africa, to promote co-operate among
religions, initiated to combine the efforts of different religions to work for peace in African
continent.
INTER-FAITH ACTION FOR PEACE IN AFRICA(IFAPA)
 Collaboration with religious communities in the continent main reason for its success, works
closely with their religious organisation, successful effort to be as inclusive of different religion
as possible, succeeded in sending delegating to the areas of conflict groups together in reaching
understanding and operation but hasn't achieved permanent peace reason cause of political
interference, hindered by culture and tribal groups using religion in pursuit of their goals.
THE PROGRAM FOR CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RELATIONS IN AFRICA(PROCMURA)
 Founded in 1959, Christian organisation, oldest in Africa in Naurobi KENYA, focus on Christian
muslim relation,, purpose to promote peaceful coexistence, constructive engagement within
Muslims for peace, run programmes to help women youth education and to facilitate
reconciliation,,

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RITUAL AND ROLES

 Is a set of formal actions or behaviour with a ceremonial perfomed at regular intervals

 Teaching people how to belong to a particular group, religion and community.

FIVE TYPES OF RITUALS

 Worship ritual: Rituals performed frequently to express one's feeling.

 Are attempts at explaining what has happened

NARRATIVES AND MYTHS

INTER-FAITH ACTION FOR PEACE IN AFRICA(IFAPA)

THE PROGRAM FOR CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RELATIONS IN AFRICA(PROCMURA)

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