Thomas Quartier

Personal symbols in Roman Catholic funerals in the Netherlands

Abstract This article deals with the use of personal symbols in Roman Catholic funerals in the Netherlands. I propose to reflect on the way in which personal symbols give expression to memory in these rites, relying on the work of Jan Assmann and Louis-Marie Chauvet. Assmann distinguishes several dimensions of memory. Chauvet develops a liturgical view on how symbols not only signify but actualise memory. The main question is: How are different dimensions of memory expressed in terms of personal symbols in Roman Catholic funerals? I shall illustrate my findings by way of qualitative and quantitative data collected from funeral-goers and Roman Catholic chaplains in the Netherlands.

Islamic ritual experts in a migration context: motivation and authority in the ritual cleansing of the deceased

Abstract In the Dutch migration context, the deployment of Islamic ritual experts in the ritual cleansing of the deceased has become very common. The imams of the local mosques are performing death rites as part of their professional duties but there is a growing number of ‘volunteers’ involved. An upcoming phenomenon in the migration context and although widely deployed, they are the same time rather invisible. What motivates these people to become involved in death rites of people they often do not know? And how is their ritual authority recognised? A multi-layered approach provides insight in the expert’s role and their motivation and authority at a personal level as well as at a social (interpersonal) and a religious (transpersonal) level. It shows the various configurations that make up each expert’s motivation and authority. This approach hands insights in the diversity of Muslim communities in a small town migration context. Tangible leads that can help professionals to provide more tailor made assistance to Muslims and migrants in cases of death. Vignettes are drawn from qualitative research data collected from fieldwork (interviews, observations and participations) conducted in Venlo (NL).

Monastic martyrs of compassion: murdered Trappist monks in Algeria and the different meanings of martyrdom

Abstract This article explores different dimensions of martyrdom by analysing the case of a group of murdered Trappist monks in Algeria in 1996. The monks had remained in their monastery, although they were threatened by terrorism and advised to leave the country. Monastic stability became the leading principle of their life and death, and opened the space to develop the virtue of compassion directed to all groups present in their surroundings, radically. To be able to understand this martyrdom of compassion, the author analyses the representation of the fate of the monks in the movie Of Gods and Men (2010). Furthermore, monastic practices that guarantee stability and compassion are analysed from the perspective of monastic and ritual studies. The aim is a contribution to the understanding of practices contributing to the development of virtues in monastic life that have both, humanitarian and religious relevance.

Rite out of place. Ritual, media, and the arts

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