The Reformation of Ritual explores the function of ritual in early modern German society, and the extent to which it was modified by the Reformation. Employing anthropological insights and drawing on extensive archival research, Susan Karant-Nunn outlines the significance of the ceremonial changes. This comprehensive study includes an examination of all major rites of passage: birth, baptism, confirmation, engagement, marriage, penance, the Eucharist and dying. The author argues that the changes in ritual made over the course of the century reflect more than theological shifts; ritual was a means of imposing discipline and of making the divine more or less accessible. This study provides insight into the politics of reforming religion and into the practices of the wider congregation in early modern Germany.