Role In Ritual

Ritual and Material Folkore

One defintion that anthropologists use when discussing the concept of ritual is "outward expressions or enactments of inwardly experienced values, beliefs, and attitudes" (Sims and Stephens 2011, 100). In high-context rituals, dress codes and ceremonial clothing are often required (Sims and Stephens 2011, 103). Items of material culture “add weight to the process” (102) of a ritual and reinforce the sense that it is real (Sims and Stephens 2011). For Orthodox clergy, wearing vestments is viewed not as a ritual in the colloquial sense, but as an ecclesiastical event (Kalaitzis, 2023). The intricacies of the vestments are viewed as a way to glorify God (Kalaitzis 2023; Woodfin 2012, 40), and the vestments themselves are considered to be carriers of divine grace (Kalaitzis, 2023)

Image: Bishop wearing ornate head covering, with icon of Christ shown

Differentiated Dress

Vestments also play a role in upholding the hierarchical nature of the Orthodox church. Deacons, priests, bishops, and other clergy wear vestments of increasing complexity to reflect their rank (McGuckin 2011, 622). Woodfin (2012) writes that the vestments of bishops are the most complex (13) and that certain holy bishops are dressed the most ornately (21). For example, only bishops can wear icons of Christ or the Virgin Mary, whereas priests are able to wear crosses (Kalaitzis 2023; McGuckin 2011, 622-3). Differentiation through privileged vestments for higher clergy is further demonstrated through the wearing of headgear, which emerged in the Late Byzantine period (Woodfin 2012, 32). This differentiated dress is important because each rank has a different ecclesiastical role that must be expressed (Kalaitzis 2023).