Occasional rites reveal how the church is perceived. Here, it is operating in a religious market that is being shaped by religious abstinence and offers from the secular competition. Simultaneously, the occasional field is growing and becoming more diverse due to, e.g., celebrant agencies. Today, any theory aiming to capture this field must be aware of much more than the four classical rites of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and funeral.

Thomas Klie, Theological Faculty, University of Rostock, Germany.