Overview

Instructor: TBD
Course Code: RIT 101
Semester: Spring 2025

Course Introduction:

Welcome to “The Transformative Power of Ritual”, a course designed to explore the profound role that ritual plays in shaping not only the spiritual life of individuals but also the communal identity of the Church and broader society. Rituals—whether in the liturgy, sacraments, or daily life—serve as transformative encounters with the Divine. They ground us in tradition while inviting us to continually reimagine and renew our faith in the context of the modern world.

In this class, we will look beyond the mere repetition of sacred actions, focusing instead on how rituals invite personal transformation and act as agents of social change. We will explore key themes such as healing, justice, reconciliation, and renewal, guided by both Catholic sacramental theology and a broad interdisciplinary approach, including anthropology, psychology, and cultural studies.

This course will also critically examine how rituals can challenge structures of exclusion and open up spaces of inclusivity.

Through our reflections on ancient practices such as the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as contemporary rituals addressing ecological and social justice, we will ask: How can the transformative power of ritual empower us to respond to the urgent challenges of our time?

What You’ll Learn

• Understand the theological foundations of Catholic rituals and their role in spiritual transformation.
• Analyze the social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of ritual practice.
• Explore the intersection between ritual, justice, and community-building in both liturgical and everyday contexts.
• Reflect on the role of ritual in fostering spiritual renewal and social transformation in contemporary life.
• Engage in creative and critical thinking about how traditional rituals can be adapted for modern contexts without losing their theological depth.

Key Topics:

• The Sacramental Imagination: Liturgy and the Encounter with God
• Rituals of Healing and Reconciliation: From Confession to Social Justice
• Embodied Worship: The Role of the Senses in Spiritual Experience
• The Eucharist as a Call to Justice and Community
• Liturgical Reform and Innovation: A Progressive Catholic Approach
• Ecological Rituals: Creation Care as Sacred Practice
• Rituals in Times of Crisis: Grief, Loss, and Hope

Course Structure:

The course will involve a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, experiential learning, and creative projects. Weekly readings will include theological texts, cultural critiques, and case studies from various contexts. We will also engage in ritual design exercises to creatively reimagine how traditional practices can respond to contemporary needs.

Your active participation and openness to both intellectual inquiry and spiritual reflection will be crucial to our collective journey. By the end of the semester, I hope we will have deepened our understanding of the rich potential that rituals hold for personal transformation, communal renewal, and a more just world.

I look forward to journeying with you as we discover the transformative power of ritual in the light of our progressive Catholic faith.