Gods, Cults, Rituals - Understanding the Power of Religions. After a long time, this book presents a comprehensive theory of religions once again. Martin Riesebrodt vividly explains, using many examples from very different religions, what they all have in common and why cults and rituals are so attractive to their followers that they do not shy away from violence against themselves and others. A "must-read" for anyone who wants to better understand the longevity of religious traditions and their new public power. All religions promise people that by nurturing their relationships with supernatural powers, they can ward off misfortune, cope with crises, and receive salvation. This promise of salvation is expressed in the liturgies of religious holidays and in life-cycle rituals, in the radical practices of ascetics, and in the prophecies of prophets.