Ritual and the Sacred

'Rosati offers us a brilliant interpretation of Durkheim as a post-positivist thinker. Taking ritual and tradition seriously, he shows us how Durkheim’s understanding of these provides us with the formal criteria for living the good life, indeed, as supplying the very conditions for individual judgment and autonomy. This book will be a touchstone for all future studies of religion and selfhood.' Adam Seligman, Boston University, USA 'This book overcomes the barren confrontation between secularization theorists and "return of the sacred" supporters, showing the heuristic advantage of putting in opposition the concepts of ritual and the sacred, rather than those of religion and the sacred - a compelling argument revealing the centrality of ritual in our society.' Enzo Pace, University of Padua, Italy 'The author makes a strong case that Durkheim is underestimated as a critic of modernity, and, connectedly, that the loss of ritual as a dimension of social life is a heavy loss, indeed. Rosati writes with a clear but understated sense of moral urgency. The book is highly recommended on all of these counts...' Contemporary Sociology