
Tracing the Ritual Body
Catherine Bell and Rituals of the Ancient Biblical World
T.& T.Clark Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 30. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-567-71058-1 (ISBN)
Description
This volume utilizes Catherine Bell's ritual theory to shed new light on the many rituals reflected in ancient Mediterranean texts. In recent decades scholars of religion have come to realize that ritual and bodily practices are just as important for religion as beliefs and doctrine. With the development of ritual studies in the 1990s there arose a critical framework for investigating ritual and practice. Only recently, however, has Bell's theorizing been employed to study the rituals portrayed in ancient texts. This cross-disciplinary examination assesses the utility of Bell's theorizing for studying the textual evidence for rituals of the ancient Near East, the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, and other early Christian literature.
The contributors to this volume illustrate a path away from regarding rituals as inert and fixed and toward a more complex and vibrant interactive model of ritual behaviour. In this volume, as each scholar works to recover the traces of long-past rituals in a particular set of materials, these and other concepts are consciously employed to guide or challenge the investigation, pushing beyond previous conclusions about ancient rituals. The contributors' attention to theory, and especially the social context, practical function, and symbolic interpretation, set this collection apart from studies that consider the rituals in more traditional textual ways.
The contributors to this volume illustrate a path away from regarding rituals as inert and fixed and toward a more complex and vibrant interactive model of ritual behaviour. In this volume, as each scholar works to recover the traces of long-past rituals in a particular set of materials, these and other concepts are consciously employed to guide or challenge the investigation, pushing beyond previous conclusions about ancient rituals. The contributors' attention to theory, and especially the social context, practical function, and symbolic interpretation, set this collection apart from studies that consider the rituals in more traditional textual ways.
Reviews / Votes
Besides giving a valuable summary of Bell's most important ritual terminology, the volume demonstrates the versatility of her concepts. * Review of Biblical Literature *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
6 black and white images
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
345 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-567-71058-1 (9780567710581)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Ada Taggar Cohen | Richard E. DeMaris | Jonathan Schwiebert
Tracing the Ritual Body
Catherine Bell and Rituals of the Ancient Biblical World
E-Book
09/2024
1st Edition
T.& T.Clark Ltd
€31.99
Available for download
Persons
Ada Taggar Cohen is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Doshisha University, Japan.
Richard E. DeMaris is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University, USA.
Jonathan Schwiebertis Professor of Religious Studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University, USA.
Richard E. DeMaris is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University, USA.
Jonathan Schwiebertis Professor of Religious Studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University, USA.
Editor
Doshisha University, Japan
Valparaiso University, USA
Lenoir-Rhyne College, USA
Content
Preface
Introduction - Catherine Bell and the Ancient Mediterranean Ritual World
(Richard E. DeMaris and Jonathan Schwiebert)
1- Ritual Performance and Hittite Royal Ideology in Dialogue with Catherine Bell's Power of Ritualization
(Ada Taggar Cohen, Doshisha University)
2- The Relevance of Catherine Bell's Approach to Ritualization for Analysis of Pentateuchal Ritual Texts
(Roy E. Gane, Andrews University)
3- "Open Thine Eyes and See the Words": The Ritualization of Hezekiah's Responses to the Neo-Assyrian Crisis
(Dan Belnap, Brigham Young University)
4- Creating a Virtual Holy Center in the Dead Sea Sect
(Hannah K. Harrington, Patten University)
5- The Gospel of Mark through a Ritual Lens
(Richard E. DeMaris, Valparaiso University)
6- Ritualization and Practice in Corinth
(Jonathan Schwiebert, Lenoir-Rhyne University)
7- The Musical Body as a Locus of Power in Early Christian Ritual: An Application of Catherine Bell
(Jade Weimer, University of Manitoba)
8- Making the Sign of the Cross: To Do and to Undo
(Ritva H. Williams, St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids)
9- Catherine Bell in the Biblical World
(Russell C. D. Arnold, Regis University)
Bibliography
Indices - Index of Modern Scholars, Index of Primary Sources, and Subject Index
Introduction - Catherine Bell and the Ancient Mediterranean Ritual World
(Richard E. DeMaris and Jonathan Schwiebert)
1- Ritual Performance and Hittite Royal Ideology in Dialogue with Catherine Bell's Power of Ritualization
(Ada Taggar Cohen, Doshisha University)
2- The Relevance of Catherine Bell's Approach to Ritualization for Analysis of Pentateuchal Ritual Texts
(Roy E. Gane, Andrews University)
3- "Open Thine Eyes and See the Words": The Ritualization of Hezekiah's Responses to the Neo-Assyrian Crisis
(Dan Belnap, Brigham Young University)
4- Creating a Virtual Holy Center in the Dead Sea Sect
(Hannah K. Harrington, Patten University)
5- The Gospel of Mark through a Ritual Lens
(Richard E. DeMaris, Valparaiso University)
6- Ritualization and Practice in Corinth
(Jonathan Schwiebert, Lenoir-Rhyne University)
7- The Musical Body as a Locus of Power in Early Christian Ritual: An Application of Catherine Bell
(Jade Weimer, University of Manitoba)
8- Making the Sign of the Cross: To Do and to Undo
(Ritva H. Williams, St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids)
9- Catherine Bell in the Biblical World
(Russell C. D. Arnold, Regis University)
Bibliography
Indices - Index of Modern Scholars, Index of Primary Sources, and Subject Index