Emerging Ritual in Secular Societies: A Transdisciplinary Conversation

The growing absence of meaningful ritual in contemporary Western societies has led to cohesive research on the history of ritualizing behaviour in different cultures. The relatively new field of ritology, which includes neuroscience, anthropology, cultural psychology, psychotherapy and even art and performance, raises questions about the significance and practice of ritual today. This book is the first of its kind to discuss the importance of secular rituals for cultural and personal growth. Using a transdisciplinary approach, a range of contributors provide an authoritative account of the science and history of rituals and their role in creating healthy societies in the modern age.

Jeltje Gordon-Lennox is an author of books in English and French about ritual studies theory and the role of the senses in the contemporary practice of secular ritual. She is also a psychotherapist with expertise in the field of world religions. In 2002, she founded the Ashoka(.ch) Association, where she trains secular celebrants in the craft of secular ritualization.

Jeltje lives in Switzerland with her husband, a professional jazz musician, and their two children. She enjoys music, theatre, modern art, reading fiction, hiking and k-dramas.