ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the approach of this book to the analysis of ritual, that is, to explore Shin Buddhist ritual from the perspective of embodiment, practice, and performance. It begins with a survey of some of the key theoretical literature and then considers the ways in which the disciplined ritual body is created in the context of Jōdo Shinshū. This discussion will be grounded in ethnography based on the authors' experiences as priests and participants in a range of Jōdo Shinshū rituals, and will include an analysis of the 11-day ordination training programme undertaken by all priests affiliated with Honganji-ha.
