Ritual as Transformation

Driver: "Transformation"

Driver states as a sort of thesis, “The business of religions and their rituals, then, is to effect transformations, not only of persons’ individual subjectivities but also transformations of society and the natural world” (172). Thus, true ritual can be considered “magical,” both carrying emotional meaning to the performer and “working” (172), having the desired effect. Ritual is liminal, bordering on the expected and unexpected. When the unexpected becomes the expected, effective ritual transformation has taken place. Ultimately, effective ritual constantly transforms itself, its performers, and the outside world.