Sacrifice (religious ritual)

Many theories concerning the origin of sacrificial rites have been offered, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but no conclusive case has been established. Contemporary scholars tend to be more interested in the symbolic and functional significance of sacrificial acts. One theory, for example, considers sacrifice a form of nonverbal communication between human beings and their gods. Another relates sacrificial offerings to the economic value they have in a particular culture. Several scholars have argued that the forms of sacrificial rituals resemble the structures of human relationships and that the rituals are therefore symbolic not only of religious aspirations but also of the daily lives of those who take part in them.