The first comprehensive study of rituals in early modern Europe this new andexpanded edition argues that between about 1400 and 1700 a revolution in ritualtheor... » 

The first comprehensive study of rituals in early modern Europe this new andexpanded edition argues that between about 1400 and 1700 a revolution in ritualtheory took place that transformed concepts about time the body and thepresence of spiritual forces. Edward Muir discusses wide ranging themes such asrites of passage carnivalesque festivity and the alleged antiChristianrituals of Jews and witches. The new edition examines the impact on theEuropean understanding of ritual from the discoveries of new civilizations inthe Americas and missionary efforts in China. «