Articles

Rituelen en religieuze identiteiten in Europa. Casus: actuele rituele en religieuze dynamiek in Nederland

Authors

  • Paul Post

Abstract

This article focuses on the current ritual dynamics in the Netherlands as an exponent of current religious dynamics in Europe. An important perspective is that of identity as cultural process in context. In a first part the author offers a theoretical framework around that concept of identity as process. After that a panorama of ritual repertoires in the Netherlands is presented, with a focus on Roman Catholic ritual in the public domain. From the panorama inductively a set of analytical themes is explored and connected to a set of identity profiles of ritual and religion in present Europe. These profiles are sketched and labeled in direct reference to six ritual-cultural domains: the religious domain, that of healing, memorial culture, ‘culture’ (art, history, heritage etcetera), leisure (tourism, sport, nature etcetera), and as an overlap area the domain of heterotopia. This last overlap domain is elaborated in the tradition of Michel Foucault.

Author Biography

Paul Post

Paul Post (1953) studeerde theologie, liturgiewetenschap en christelijke kunst in Utrecht en Rome. Hij is hoogleraar Liturgische en Rituele Studies aan de Universiteit van Tilburg (Departement Religiestudies en Theologie, Faculteit Geesteswetenschappen) en directeur van het aldaar gevestigde Instituut voor Liturgische en Rituele Studies.

Published

2009-12-09

Issue

Section

Articles