The Dangers of Ritual: Between Early Medieval Texts and Social

Buc, Philippe

ISBN 10: 0691016046 / ISBN 13: 9780691016047

Published by Princeton University Press, 2001

About this Item

The Dangers of Ritual: Between Early Medieval Texts and Social by Buc, Philippe Publisher: Princeton University PressDate: 2001"The Dangers of Ritual: Between Early Medieval Texts and Social Scientific Theory" by Philippe Buc is a scholarly book published by Princeton University Press in 2001. This textbook delves into the subject areas of religion, history, and social science, specifically focusing on the customs and traditions of early medieval Europe. With a substantial number of pages at 288, this hardcover book offers a detailed exploration of the rituals and practices of the medieval period, providing valuable insights for those interested in the history and social dynamics of the time. We strive for excellent customer service and your happiness is a main focus! Please ensure that you look through all photos as well as the item details provided. Please reach out with any questions prior to purchasing the item. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your item, please message us and we are happy to work with you. We combine shipping for all purchases. At times combined shipping is not allowed by the system. We will combine the items ourself and refund you the shipping overage. We ship world wide and pride ourselves on our great feedback. Thank you for supporting our small business! "The Dangers of Ritual: Between Early Medieval Texts and Social; 10.00 x 8.00 x 4.00.

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Dangers of Ritual: Between Early Medieval Texts and Social
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691016046
• ISBN 13: 9780691016047
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Central to current understandings of medieval history is the concept of political ritual, encompassing events from coronations to funerals, entries into cities, civic games, banquets, hunting, acts of submission or commendation, and more. ''Ritual?'' asks Philippe Buc. In The Dangers of Ritual he boldly argues that the concept shouldn't be so central after all. Modern-day scholars, gently seduced by twentieth-century theories of ritual, often misinterpret medieval documents that ostensibly describe such events, in part because they fail to appreciate the intentions behind them.

The book begins with four case studies whose arrangement--backward from texts on tenth-century kingship to fourth-century representations of Christian martyrdom--allows for the line of development to be peeled back layer by layer. It then turns to an analysis of the formation of the intellectual traditions that contemporary historians have employed to interpret medieval documents. Tracing the emergence of the concept of ritual from the Reformation to the mid-twentieth century, Buc highlights the continuities yet also the profound transformations between the early medieval understandings and our own, social-scientific models.

Medieval historians will find this book an indispensable resource for its insights into methodological issues crucial to their discipline. As Buc demonstrates, only rigorous attention to the contexts within which authors worked can allow us to reconstruct from medieval documents how ''rituals'' might have functioned. Ultimately, he argues, too swift an application of contemporary models to highly complex textual artifacts blinds us to the specificities of early medieval European political culture.

About the Author

Philippe Buc is an Associate Professor of Medieval History at Stanford University. He is the author of L'ambiguïté du Livre: Prince, pouvoir, et peuple dans les commentaires de la Bible au Moyen Age (Beauchesne, Paris, 1994) and of articles in various periodicals on exegesis, kingship, and, in general, power.