Following Tradition is an expansive examination of the history of tradition—"one of the most common as well as most contested terms in English language usage"—in Americans' thinking and discourse about culture. Tradition in use becomes problematic because of "its multiple meanings and its conceptual softness." As a term and a concept, it has been important in the development of all scholarly fields that study American culture. Folklore, history, American studies, anthropology, cultural studies, and others assign different value and meaning to tradition. It is a frequent point of reference in popular discourse concerning everything from politics to lifestyles to sports and entertainment. Politicians and social advocates appeal to it as prima facie evidence of the worth of their causes. Entertainment and other media mass produce it, or at least a facsimile of it. In a society that frequently seeks to reinvent itself, tradition as a cultural anchor to be reverenced or rejected is an essential, if elusive, concept. Simon Bronner's wide net captures the historical, rhetorical, philosophical, and psychological dimensions of tradition. As he notes, he has written a book "about an American tradition—arguing about it." His elucidation of those arguments makes fascinating and thoughtful reading. An essential text for folklorists, Following Tradition will be a valuable reference as well for historians and anthropologists; students of American studies, popular culture, and cultural studies; and anyone interested in the continuing place of tradition in American culture.

This book explores examples of this process of invention and addresses the complex interaction of past and present in a fascinating study of ritual and symbolism.

In 1975 The Heard Museum published a catalogue of the Barry Goldwater collection of Hopi kachina dolls. The catalog is no longer in print, but the Museum's collection is hereby made accessible in print once again. Beautiful color photographs of 200 kachina dolls are combined with sensitive commentary by a Hopi author. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In spite of its enormous historical significance and increased contemporary interest, this is the first general introduction to the spirituality of the Anabaptist tradition. Anabaptist spirituality has been described as "both Catholic and Protestant," a sixteenth-century ascetic lay reform movement inspired both by currents of pre-Reformation devotion to Christ and the Reformation call to return to Scripture. Because of their insistence on adult baptism Anabaptists -- often illiterate artisans and peasants with no formal theological education -- met widespread persecution. Arnold Snyder's sympathetic study draws on court records to give an intimate glimpse into their beliefs, practices, and spirituality. As well as inspiring such groups as the Mennonites, the Amish and various groups of Brethren and Baptists, Anabaptist ideas have profoundly influenced individuals and movements throughout the churches into modern times. Book jacket.

Asking how the citizens of modern democracy can reason with one another, this book carves out a controversial position between those who view religious voices as an anathema to democracy and those who believe democratic society is a moral wasteland because such voices are not heard.

“Deeply felt, powerful, devastating and, ultimately, hopeful.” — Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star “Powerful and necessary…an important, timely book.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be “A story that belongs in every library.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “A thoughtfully crafted argument for feminism and allyship.” —Kirkus Reviews From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Brendan Kiely, a stunning novel that explores the insidious nature of tradition at a prestigious boarding school. Prestigious. Powerful. Privileged. This is Fullbrook Academy. Jules Devereux just wants to keep her head down, avoid distractions, and get into the right college, so she can leave Fullbrook and its old-boy social codes behind. Jamie Baxter feels like an imposter at Fullbrook, but the hockey scholarship that got him in has given him a chance to escape his past and fulfill the dreams of his parents and coaches, whose mantra rings in his ears: Don’t disappoint us. As Jules and Jamie’s lives intertwine, and the pressures to play by the rules and to keep the school’s toxic secrets, they are faced with a powerful choice: remain silent while others get hurt, or stand together against the ugly, sexist traditions of an institution that believes it can do no wrong.

The Miriam Tradition works from the premise that religious values form in and through movement, with ritual and dance developing patterns for enacting those values. Cia Sautter considers the case of Sephardic Jewish women who, following in the tradition of Miriam the prophet, performed dance and music for Jewish celebrations and special occasions. She uses rabbinic and feminist understandings of the Torah to argue that these women, called tanyaderas, "taught" Jewish values by leading appropriate behavior for major life events. Sautter considers the religious values that are in music and dance performed by tanyaderas and examines them in conjunction with written and visual records and evidence from dance and music traditions. Explaining the symbolic gestures and motions encoded in dances, Sautter shows how rituals display deeply held values that are best expressed through the body. The book argues that the activities of women in other religions might also be examined for their embodiment and display of important values, bringing forgotten groups of women back into the historical record as important community leaders