Ritual in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) [Paperback]

Edward Muir (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521409675 | ISBN-13: 978-0521409674 | Publication Date: September 28, 1997

The first comprehensive study of rituals in early modern Europe, this book argues that between about 1400 and 1700 a revolution in ritual theory took place that utterly transformed concepts about time, the body, and the presence of spiritual forces in the world. In this work of synthesis Professor Muir draws on the extensive anthropology-inspired historical research that has been published during the past twenty years, and emphasizes the persistence of traditional Christian ritual practices even as educated elites attempted to privilege reason over passion, textual interpretation over ritual action, and personal moral rectitude over gaining access to supernatural powers. The themes discussed by Professor Muir are wide-ranging and include rites of passage, carnivalesque festivity, Protestant and Catholic Reformations, and the alleged anti-Christian rituals of Jews and witches.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... coherent, readable, and stimualting ... The book is just the right length for its intended student readership.' Economic History Review

' ... an excellent introduction to a wide range of topics that form part of that new history of sensibility, of emotion and experience that now occupies the attention of many early modern historians.' History

Book Description

This comprehensive study of the rituals of early modern Europe argues that the period 1400 to 1700 witnessed a revolution in ritual theory. While reformers sought to replace sacraments with the authority of scripture, and despite attempts by intellectuals to dismiss their power, ritual practices endured as much as ever.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521409675
• ISBN-13: 978-0521409674
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,301,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Textbook on Ritual with Good Bibliography, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ritual in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

Muir, an expert on civic ritual in Venice in the Renaissance, has brought his knowledge of ritual in early modern Europe to this textbook in succient and compacted prose. Muir shows how in the early modern period time, the body, religion all underwent conceptual transformations. He draws on antropological studies, as well as other sociological methodologies in dealing with rites of passage, carnivalesque activity, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, and with the relation of Jews to the larger christian world. As he is an expert on Venice, his writing on the rituals of the northern Italian cities tends to be more animated and eruidte and the sections of northern European cities. The end of each chapter has a bibliography with books highly recommended for further reading starred. It is a textbook, and best suited for undergraduates or advanced level high-school seniors. The independent reader may want to stick with a less packaged history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Inquiry into European Ritual in the Early Modern Era, September 19, 2005

By 

Robert E. Murena Jr. "tedmurena" (Fairfield, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ritual in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

Muir's "Ritual in Early Modern Europe" approaches the idea of ritual, its impact on society and its pervasiveness. All rituals contain an element of change and rituals occur every day in our lives and all contain the consistence of the prelimenal the limenal and the postlimenal steps to the change. And while the author divides the rituals to those of the lower and upper body they all follow the same basic structure. The books provides very interesting accounts of Charaviri which is "rough music" - but really a ritualized form of primitive justice where the perpetrator of an act is embarrassed into proper behavior. Further the book describes the ritual calendar and the assault the reformation attempted on it. Most of these rituals are religious fast and feast days. Obviously ritual won the battle though often the names and figures are changed but the underlying ritual remains constant. Another amazing account of ritual described in this book is that of the Sacre where the king of France is both coronated and deified. This is really interesting stuff and though bordering the high academic is a very enjoyable read that is engaging and well written enough to not be dull in the least bit.

The book is very useful to the historian but would be interesting even if history is not your main source for reading enjoyment. This book should be definitely read with some background on Early Modern Europe (even a 101 course on European History might be sufficient) I would suggest that this is a book to be read before attempting any in depth study of the reformation the middle ages or even Rome. The concepts developed here will be of great benefit to anyone trying to understand the mindset often the specific nature of rituals in these times and really lends a hand to the developing professional historian who wishes to connect ideas and further develop deeper historical inquiries. This book is packed with well documented data for a book that covers such a long period. Further this book contains a great bibliography and is sure to inspire further inquiry into the nature of ritual. I highly recommend this to all students of history but further believe that anyone with an ounce of curiosity will enjoy this book.

Ted Murena