Studies on Religious Rituals and Practices

Dear Colleagues,

Religious rituals have long occupied a central place in the social sciences, addressing fundamental questions about social order, identity, cohesion, and cultural continuity. From the classic studies of Durkheim, Mauss, and Turner to contemporary research in anthropology and sociology, rituals are understood as formal, repeated, and symbolically charged actions through which communities sustain moral worlds, transmit tradition, and construct collective meaning.

This Special Issue will focus on rituals as structured and codified forms of religious expression, while also acknowledging the broader field of religious practices that shape everyday faith and spirituality. Rituals are distinguished by their rule-governed nature—such as worship services, rites of passage, or pilgrimages—whereas practices encompass more spontaneous and informal acts of devotion, such as personal prayer or gestures of piety. Both dimensions interact dynamically, revealing how the sacred is woven into daily life and how religious meaning is continually negotiated.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore how religious rituals and practices reflect and transform social life across diverse religious, cultural, and historical settings. We invite contributors to examine how these forms of ritualization generate belonging, moral order, and emotional connection; how they respond to processes of modernization, globalization, and digital mediation; and how they help communities adapt in moments of disruption or uncertainty. In this regard, we particularly welcome studies that consider how contemporary crises—such as migration, displacement, or armed conflict—reshape their performance and meaning, although our scope is not limited to these contexts alone.

Key questions include the following:

• How do religious rituals and practices construct and communicate religious authority, moral values, and collective identity?
• In what ways do embodiment, materiality, and performance sustain or reinvent the meaning of religious rituals and practices?
• How do religious rituals and practices provide continuity, healing, and adaptation in times of social or political transformation?

For this Special Issue, we welcome theoretical, comparative, and empirical contributions from across the fields of anthropology, sociology, religious studies, communication, cultural history, gender studies, philosophy, and theology. By gathering cross-cultural perspectives, this Special Issue will illuminate the enduring power of ritual in shaping human experience, community, and spirituality in a rapidly changing world.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Esme Zheng (esme.zheng@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Anna Prashizky
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• religion
• religious rituals
• ritual practices
• rites of passage
• ritualization
• symbolism
• migration and refugees
• war and violent conflicts
• everyday and holiday rituals
• postmodern religious experience