religious ritual that is within your own religious tradition.

Objective: The purpose of this assignment is to have you observe and analyze a religious ritual that is within your own religious tradition. If you are Catholic, observe and analyze a Catholic ritual; if you are Muslim, observe and analyze a Muslim ritual, etc. You will be expected to work within the religious tradition that you yourself identified in your first class.

General Guidelines:
1) You are to carefully observe the elements of ritual that we are discussing in class: sacred space, sacred objects, sacred times, sacred actions, and sacred persons.
2) Be as specific in your observations as you can.
3) Be attentive also to the way that the elements interact and influence each other.
4) Use the questions below to guide your observations:
Sacred Space:
1. Describe the space. How is it shaped? Of what is it constructed?
2. How is the space used?
3. How do the members congregate within it?
4. Does the space encourage interaction between and among the persons present? If so, how?
5. Does the space limit interaction between and among the persons present? If so, how?
6. Are there spaces within this sacred space that seem to be more sacred and which therefore draw more attention? What evidence leads you to make this conclusion?
7. Are there boundaries that demarcate the more sacred spaces from the less sacred ones? How are these boundaries made known?
8. On what does the space help to focus attention: sacred objects? Sacred times? Sacred persons? Other persons? Sacred actions?
Sacred Objects:
1. What are the objects that are used in this ritual? Describe them.
2. Do some objects seem to be more sacred than others? Which ones? What evidence indicates this?
3. Do some of these objects seem to have more power than others? Which ones? What evidence indicates this?
4. How are the objects used within the sacred space?
5. Who may touch the sacred objects? Who may not touch the sacred objects? How is this evidenced?
6. When, during the ritual, are the objects most sacred? From the beginning? At a climax? The whole time? How is this evidenced in the ritual?
7. Do the objects continue to be sacred after the ritual is finished? How is this evidenced?
8. What actions are conducted when the objects are used? Who does these actions?
Sacred Times:
1. When does your ritual take place? On what day of the week? At what time of day? During what part of the year?
2. Do any of the above times lend more significance to the sacred time? How is this evidenced in the ritual?
3. In what ways is this time sacred, i.e., how is it “set apart” to indicate that it is different from other times?
4. How does one know that the ritual begins, i.e., how is the beginning of the “sacred time” made known?
5. How does one know that the ritual ends, i.e., how is the end of the “sacred time” made known?
6. How long does the ritual take? Who decides this?
7. Is there a pattern to this “sacred time”? If so, describe it.
8. How often is this ritual performed? Hourly? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Annually? Who determines that pattern?
9. Is the sacred space used differently during different times in the ritual? If so, how?
10. Are there sacred objects which are used at specific times during the ritual? Which ones? Describe how their use is connected to the specific sacred times.
Sacred Actions:
1. Are there actions which are performed by everyone in the ritual? Describe them.
2. Are there actions which only some may perform? If so, who performs them? Describe them.
3. Are there actions which focus on the individual? Which ones? How is this evidenced?
4. Are there actions which build community? Which ones? How is this evidenced?
5. Are there any actions in which the persons touch each other? Which ones? Who participates in this? Is there a delineation between those who may touch and those who may not? Are there any who refrain from this touching?
6. Are there any actions in which sacred objects are touched? Which ones? Who participates? How is this evidenced?
7. Are there any actions which are only performed by sacred persons? Which ones?
8. Which parts of the body are used in the sacred actions?
Sacred Persons:
1. Describe the group that is there: how large is the group? Is it inclusive of different ethnic and racial groups? How are they dressed?
2. Is there a group identity? How is this evidenced? By use of sacred space? By sacred actions? By dress?
3. Are there some people who seem to be more sacred than others? How is this evidenced?
4. Is there a central sacred person? If so, how is this evidenced? Is this person dressed differently to indicate this?
5. Do the sacred people use the space differently than others? How is this evidenced?
6. Are there some persons who participate more than others? If so, how? Do they dress differently? Do they use the sacred space differently?
7. Do the sacred persons ever interact with other members? If so, how?
8. In what ways do the sacred people contribute to building a group identity? In what ways do they inhibit the building of group identity?
9. In what ways do the sacred people control the use of sacred time? Sacred actions? Sacred objects?
Be sure to:
1. Proofread to correct spelling, grammar, mechanics.
2. Include an introduction in which you name the place you went to observe your ritual.
3. Include a brochure from you site.
4. Include a conclusion.
LENGTH: 4-5 pages, minimum
FORMAT: Papers should be double-spaced, 12-point font, New Times Roman, one-inch margins
WORTH: 100 points
DUE: 201-A: Tuesday, March 25
201-B: Wednesday, March 26

You MAY do the OBSERVATION with a partner BUT each student must write his/her paper!