Ritual theorizing has tended to focus on perfect rituals, as prescribed in sacred texts, yet ritual mistakes occur all the time--crucial items can go missing or get broken, incorrect phrases can be said.

Kathryn T. McClymond is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Georgia State University.

• Acknowledgements


• Abbreviations


• Introduction


• Chapter 1 Negotiating Ritual Repair: The prayascitta material in the Baudhayana Srauta Sutra


• Chapter 2 Don't Cry Over Spilled Blood: Ritual Correction in the Mishnah


• Chapter 3 Blood Libel: Ritual Misrepresentation


• Chapter 4 Of Fists and Feathers: The Modern Olympic Games


• Chapter 5 When Ritual Systems Collide: The Execution of Saddam Hussein


• Conclusion


• Appendix


• Notes


• Bibliography