The Power of Ritual
Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices
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The Power of Ritual
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Narrated by:
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Casper Ter Kuile
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By:
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Casper Ter Kuile
About this listen
Casper ter Kuile, a Harvard Divinity School fellow and cohost of the popular Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, explores how we can nourish our souls by transforming common, everyday practices―yoga, reading, walking the dog―into sacred rituals that can heal our crisis of social isolation and struggle to find purpose.
“After half a decade of research and hundreds of conversations with people around the country, I am convinced we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. That what used to hold us in community no longer works, and that the spiritual offerings of yesteryear no longer help us thrive.”
–Casper ter Kuile
What do Soul Cycle, gratitude journals, and tech breaks have in common? For ter Kuile they offer rituals that create the foundation for our modern spiritual lives.
We are in crisis today. Our modern technological society has left too many of us―no matter our ages―feeling isolated and bereft of purpose. Previous frameworks for building community and finding meaning no longer support us. Yet ter Kuile reveals a hopeful new message: we might not be religious, but that doesn’t mean we are any less spiritual.
Instead, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in which we seek belonging and meaning in secular practices. Today, we find connection in:
· CrossFit and SoulCycle, which offer a sense of belonging rooted in accountability and support much like church groups
· Harry Potter and other beloved books that offer universal lessons
· Gratitude journals, which have replaced traditional prayer
· Tech breaks, which provide mindful moments of calm
In The Power of Ritual, ter Kuile invites us to deepen these ordinary practices as intentional rituals that nurture connection and wellbeing. With wisdom and endearing wit, ter Kuile’s call for ritual is ultimately a call to heal our loss of connection to ourselves, to others, and to our spiritual identities.
The Power of Ritual reminds us that what we already do every day matters―and has the potential to become a powerful experience of reflection, sanctuary, and meaning.
©2020 Casper ter Kuile (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic Reviews
‘The Power of Ritual is essential reading for anyone interested in how to find meaning in our strange, new world. Bursting with wisdom and compassion, this is the rare book that really might change your life. It has certainly changed mine.’ – John Green, Author of The Fault in Our Stars
‘Casper ter Kuile continues to have his pulse on this generation's search for meaning. Building on the incredible work of How We Gather, The Power of Ritual offers a radical proposition: we decide what's sacred.’
- Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering
‘Casper ter Kuile's book is genuinely wise and utterly useful: it offers you the opportunity to remake your life in small but vital ways that will leave you happier, calmer, and more able to do the work that must be done on this planet. A classic the day it is published!’ – Bill McKibben, author of Radio Free Vermont
‘If you are passionate about community building or simply seeking what feels good in life and how to get more of it…consider this book your new bible.’ – Cleo Wade, Author of Heart Talk and Where to Begin
‘Human beings are made to experience the transcendent, for worship and, though this might surprise many people, for ritual as well. Casper ter Kuile invites our increasingly secular world to discover the sacred in the midst of the everyday and turn our days into rituals of joy, praise and gratitude.’ – James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage
‘As we reimagine our relationships, with self, one another and nature, The Power of Ritual provides deep insight into traditions both new and old. Brilliant.’ – Elizabeth Cutler, Co-Founder of Soul Cycle
‘The Power of Ritual has a startling message: feeling better isn’t about adding new things, but rather about seeing what we have through new eyes.’ Evan Sharp, Co-Founder of Pinterest
‘A thoughtful debut. Those who are beginning to explore spirituality will find many rich ideas.’ – Publishers Weekly
What listeners say about The Power of Ritual
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-01-2022
For those who feel disconnected
I loved this book- and would recommend it to anyone who feels a bit lost in the day to day living. The author clearly loves Harry Potter so there’s a fair amount of references back to HP and the podcast, however I really do love all the ideas presented in this book. The explanations were entertaining, informative and valuable. I found myself actually agreeing out loud to so many of the light bulb moments. Definitely a book I will go back to again and again. Loved it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lolo Readsalot
- 29-07-2020
loved this
I loved this book, it makes the idea of creating a community and reconnecting with yourself so accessible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Libi Lawson
- 04-11-2020
THANK YOU CASPER
I know you love reading reviews and while you might not find this one, I wanted to say thank you so much for this incredibly beautiful, wise and insightful book. I loved hearing your voice in the audio book (of course I’m a huge fan of your work on HPST) and this was the salve I desperately needed after the global and personal battles I’ve faced this year. I’m sure many others would agree!
I’ve taken a lot from the book, reframed things I already do as sacred rituals and cultivated new habits as spiritual practices. One that I am most excited about has been committing each sunday to drive out of the city to one of the many national parks I am lucky to live close to, listening to a different album start to finish in the car, anything that I loved as a teenager so I can revisit some of those memories. Once I’m off the freeway I’ll stop for coffee and to get a sandwich and then the rest of the day is spent alone in nature, hiking and exploring the most beautiful landscapes, no email, no news. This has been especially healing as I actually grew up in one of these national parks, so it’s a place very dear to my heart and very familiar, but as a child my experiences and memories of this magical landscape were tainted by abuse and trauma.
The last few years I’ve been paralysed by PTSD, depression, agoraphobia and panic as I process all of those experiences in therapy. I’ve barely gotten out of bed all year so having something to look forward to each Sunday with no social pressures, to return to my own core self, has been so magical and I am so eternally grateful to you for writing this book in such an accessible, generous and welcoming way.
I’ll be buying it for many friends this christmas and I’m already looking forward to making a ritual of re-reading (or relistening) to this book to rejuvenate that feeling of inspiration and connection.
Thank you Casper!
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