Rituals divide into high-frequency doctrinal and rare emotionally intense imagistic modes.

Evidence

Rituals seem to follow a pattern similar to that of Big Gods. Anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse has made a distinction between two recurring types of rituals across cultures and history. One mode is doctrinal—these are rituals that are repeated frequently, typically do not cause high levels of physiological arousal, and are associated with the cultural transmission of a dogma and are tightly managed by priests and religious authorities. A standard Catholic mass, with its weekly regularity, uniformity, and repetitious movement and song, is a good example of a doctrinal ritual. In contrast, imagistic rituals are performed only occasionally, but they are emotionally arousing, and as a result can reflect idiosyncratic, gripping, memorable spiritual experiences. Often a shaman is present who guides the practice, but there is little doctrinal orthodoxy or concern with uniformity. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 426

Anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse has made a distinction between two recurring types of rituals across cultures and history. One mode is doctrinal—these are rituals that are repeated frequently, typically do not cause high levels of physiological arousal, and are associated with the cultural transmission of a dogma and are tightly managed by priests and religious authorities. A standard Catholic mass, with its weekly regularity, uniformity, and repetitious movement and song, is a good example of a doctrinal ritual. In contrast, imagistic rituals are performed only occasionally, but they are emotionally arousing, and as a result can reflect idiosyncratic, gripping, memorable spiritual experiences. Often a shaman is present who guides the practice, but there is little doctrinal orthodoxy or concern with uniformity. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 426

Categorization

• DEFINE: Whitehouse’s doctrinal vs. imagistic ritual typology is precisely defined here — key for connecting to the reader’s Big God and partner-choice analytical frame.
• XREF: Connects to Baumard’s partner-choice mechanism: doctrinal rituals’ uniformity and priestly management map onto partner-choice signaling of commitment; also connects to the fumi-e as a public doctrinal-orthodoxy test.
• SEED: Possible essay angle: how doctrinal institutions deliberately orchestrate imagistic rituals — the forced apostasy trampling as doctrinal power staging an imagistic crisis.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 426