Description: Ritual theorizing has tended to focus on perfect rituals, as prescribed in sacred texts, yet ritual mistakes occur all the time--crucial items can go missing or get broken, incorrect phrases can be said. In this book, Kathryn McClymond examines cases in which rituals have gone wrong, embracing the fact that, in fact, they rarely go as planned. From ancient India to modern Iraq, Ritual Gone Wrong demonstrates that ritual disruptions throughout history reveal the fluid, supple, and dynamic nature of ritual.
Review Quotes: "Ritual Gone Wrong is a worthy entry in the Oxford Ritual Studies series and well worth adopting into a graduate course on ritual or methodology and creatively excerpting for undergraduates." -- Brian Collins, Ohio University, Religious Studies Review
"Ritual Gone Wrong: What We Learn from Ritual Disruption provides an analysis of several types of ritual error in an effort to expand our understanding of ritual, its complexity, and the relationship between ritual practice and the mundane ... Perhaps the greatest benefit of McClymond's book is the broad understanding she holds of ritual and ritual disruption." -- Sarah Gane Burton, Reading Religion"Ranging widely over the history of religion and politics-from ancient India to contemporary Iraq-this book illuminates dimensions of ritual practice that have heretofore received insufficient attention. By exploring what happens when rituals, whether formally 'religious' or not, are disrupted or come into conflict, Kathryn McClymond sheds valuable light on the inevitable political dimension in ritual action." --Jon D. Levenson, Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies, Harvard University