Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals: Weaving Together the Human and the Divine (Book)
Herbert Anderson, Edward Foley, Authors.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Lutheran pastor Herbert Anderson and Roman Catholic priest Edward Foley examine the importance of connecting stories with ritual in worship and in pastoral care. They believe that our storytelling and ritual enactment can be both mighty and dangerous: "mighty" because human stories and ritual-making are "potential windows to the story of God"; "dangerous" because stories and rituals can also conceal reality and isolate us.

To employ story and ritual meaningfully, we need to distinguish between "myth" and "parable." Myth seeks to mediate and resolve contradictions and paradox. Parable, on the other hand, illuminates contradictions and challenges dreams of permanent reconciliation. Anderson and Foley hold that both are necessary: without the parabolic, our stories and rituals become dishonest; without the mythic, they leave us without the hope of ultimate peace.

The authors also believe that, in our culture, pastoral care and worship each fail to fully mediate the human and divine story. While pastoral care gives exclusive focus to human stories, worship focuses on God's story to the neglect of human story. Ritual is thus depleted in worship and lacking in pastoral care.

The book explores how bringing storytelling and ritual enactment together can enrich baptisms, weddings, and funerals. It also explores the need for new rituals during such crises as miscarriage and divorce—well as during such transitions as adoption and leaving home.

Pastoral caregivers, worship leaders, and others will find the authors' points thought-provoking and their suggestions for joining story and ritual helpful—particularly during crises.

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