Dimitris Xygalatas' Scientific Study of Ritual. A review on Dimitris Xygalatas, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, London: Profile Books, 2022.

Abstract

Xygalatas identifies religious ritual as a special type of human ritualized behavior generally, the scientific study, of which, he maintains, is "in full development." While I have been less convinced that this is the case with any 'scientific' study of religion, Xygalatas has been a pioneer among those who have, in fact, engaged in a truly scientific study of religious ritual, both in the laboratory as well as, more interestingly, in the field. His overview of the state of this research, including his own, presents a wealth of investigative conclusions in an informative and engaging manner.