Religious Ritual Questionnaire:

Examining Ritual Space

  1. Is the space designed and constructed for a religious, or some other, purpose?  How is this indicated?
  2. Does the space focus attention on the action of the service?  the decorative elements of the building?  other attendees?  something else?
  3. What actions does the space encourage?
  4. What actions does the space discourage?
  5. What impressions do light and color give in this space?  Is light or color focused on one particular area of the space?
  6. Are there more or less 'sacred' parts of the space?  How is this indicated?
  7. What signals are used to mark the boundaries between sacred spaces and less sacred spaces?
  8. Where is the center of this space?  Who occupies this center?

Examining Ritual Objects

  1. What objects does this ritual employ?  Furniture?  Vessels or containers? Consumable items?  Other things?
  2. Are certain object regarded as precious?  How is this indicated?
  3. Is power identified with these objects?  If so, how is this indicated?
  4. Who can handle these objects?  Who cannot handle these objects?
  5. Is the object precious only when it is being used?  Does its preciousness persist after the ritual is finished?  How is this indicated?

Examining Ritual Time

  1. What time of day does the ritual occur?  Is the time of day significant?
  2. How is it related to the times of other scheduled events or activities?
  3. Does the time of year matter?  Does the day of the week matter?
  4. How long does the ritual take?  Is it carefully timed?
  5. What signals the beginning and end of the ritual?
  6. How often is it repeated?

Examining Ritual Sounds

  1. Does the ritual use non-linguistic sounds, or only speech?
  2. Is music used?  How, when, and by whom?
  3. Is silence a part of the ritual?  How is the beginning and end of the period of silence indicated?
  4. Does the ritual presuppose that participants can read?
  5. What kind of language is used?  Is it ordinary language or a special form of ritual speech?
  6. What other kinds of sounds are heard during the ritual?  Is there extraneous 'noise'?  If so, for where does it come?  What is its effect?

Examining Ritual Identity

  1. What roles do people play in this ritual?
  2. How are those who play the various roles distinguished from one another and from non participants?
  3. Who (or what) controls the action?  Are there changes in the locus of control during the ritual?
  4. Do the various participants occupy particular places?  Under what conditions can participants move from one space to another?
  5. How and under what circumstances do participants interact with one another?  Who controls this interaction?
  6. How are people dressed?  Are those with leadership roles in the action dressed differently than other participants?

Examining Ritual Actions

  1. Are there actions which seem to be essential to this ritual?  How so?
  2. Do the participants touch one another?  Under what circumstances?
  3. Are some actions reserved to particular people?
  4. How much of the body is used by participants?  Is it only the hands and arms, or is more of the body involved?
  5. Are there occasions where the action is accompanied by music?
  6. Does the ritual presume that participants are able-bodied?  That they can see?  That they can hear?
  7. Are there any smells or tastes as a part of this ritual?  Are these essential or peripheral to the action?
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