Liberating Rites: Understanding The Transformative Power Of Ritual

by Tom F. Driver

Originally published as The Magic of Ritual.In his introduction to Liberating Rites, Tom Driver writes, “At its most elemental level, this book is a response to what I shall call ‘ritual boredom.’ This is a condition in which people have become fundamentally weary of rituals available to them for giving their lives shape and meaning.” Driver proceeds to illuminate ritual anew by removing it from its liturgical wrappings and presenting it as something raw, basic, and central to all living beings. He then examines the varied ways humans use ritual to give order to their lives, to provide a sense of security and control, especially in the face of extreme danger (witness the new wave of pilgrimage to Oklahoma City federal building’s fenced-off shell). From there, Driver looks closely at how ritual creativity and performance are central to enacting religious beliefs and how rituals serve to transform individuals into members of communities.

Genres: Christianity

270 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 1997

Reviews

[Kirsten Amann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. I read this for class and as a textbook I found it informative and interesting. It brought me new perspectives in anthropology and introduced me to the world of rites(much larger than I could possibly imagine). Where this fails is in the writing. When I say it is verbose I mean it. As a student with many other readings on my plate I didn't have the time or the energy to enjoy much of what Driver wrote. The central points were great for studying anthropology, I just think they could have been made in fewer words.

[David Bjorlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many good points, but both ritually and liturgically naive.

[Larry Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I understand Tom Driver’s point in “Liberating Rites: Understanding the Transformative Power of Ritual” that all humans engage in ritual and religious ritual, done properly, is transformative, and therefore essential, whether that ritual be a Requiem Mass or a baptism by immersion in the ocean, his long involved discussions of ritual in animals and in Haitians practicing Voodoo left me with a deflated sense of the sacredness of ritual, which, I think was the exact opposite of what he was trying to communicate. The author seemed determined to let all the supernatural air out of rituals.