Religious Ritual Questionnaire:
Examining Ritual Space
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Is the space designed and constructed for
a religious, or some other, purpose? How is this indicated?
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Does the space focus attention on the action
of the service? the decorative elements of the building? other
attendees? something else?
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What actions does the space encourage?
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What actions does the space discourage?
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What impressions do light and color give in
this space? Is light or color focused on one particular area of the
space?
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Are there more or less 'sacred' parts of the
space? How is this indicated?
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What signals are used to mark the boundaries
between sacred spaces and less sacred spaces?
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Where is the center of this space? Who
occupies this center?
Examining Ritual Objects
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What objects does this ritual employ?
Furniture? Vessels or containers? Consumable items? Other things?
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Are certain object regarded as precious?
How is this indicated?
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Is power identified with these objects?
If so, how is this indicated?
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Who can handle these objects? Who cannot
handle these objects?
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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
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What time of day does the ritual occur?
Is the time of day significant?
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How is it related to the times of other scheduled
events or activities?
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Does the time of year matter? Does the
day of the week matter?
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How long does the ritual take? Is it
carefully timed?
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What signals the beginning and end of the
ritual?
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How often is it repeated?
Examining Ritual Sounds
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Does the ritual use non-linguistic sounds,
or only speech?
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Is music used? How, when, and by whom?
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Is silence a part of the ritual? How
is the beginning and end of the period of silence indicated?
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Does the ritual presuppose that participants
can read?
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What kind of language is used? Is it
ordinary language or a special form of ritual speech?
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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
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What roles do people play in this ritual?
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How are those who play the various roles distinguished
from one another and from non participants?
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Who (or what) controls the action? Are
there changes in the locus of control during the ritual?
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Do the various participants occupy particular
places? Under what conditions can participants move from one space
to another?
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How and under what circumstances do participants
interact with one another? Who controls this interaction?
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How are people dressed? Are those with
leadership roles in the action dressed differently than other participants?
Examining Ritual Actions
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Are there actions which seem to be essential
to this ritual? How so?
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Do the participants touch one another?
Under what circumstances?
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Are some actions reserved to particular people?
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How much of the body is used by participants?
Is it only the hands and arms, or is more of the body involved?
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Are there occasions where the action is accompanied
by music?
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Does the ritual presume that participants
are able-bodied? That they can see? That they can hear?
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Are there any smells or tastes as a part of
this ritual? Are these essential or peripheral to the action?