Exploring Ritual Fields Today

Rituals, although seemingly traditional and fixed, a re v ery m uch contextual

and subject to change. Rituals do not exist and are not performed in a vacuum,

and are not independent of time and place. They are deeply influenced by the

cultural, social, economic, and political contexts in which they appear. Trends

in culture also lead to ritual trends. Therefore, rituals are a dynamic field, which

is reflected in this Special Issue of Religions regarding "Exploring Ritual

Fields Today".