Ancestors: who we are and where we come from -- Sacred is as sacred does -- "Who are your ancestors?" -- Every person is an ancestor, a descendant, and an individual -- The ancestral narrative -- Ancestors in time and space -- Ancestors, good and bad: pruning branches -- Reciprocal arrangements.
Summary
Throughout history people have incorporated ancestors into rituals public and private, religious and secular. Societies are often organized around ancestral constructions; medical professionals consider ancestral information important to a patient's diagnosis and to the study of disease. Hertzel offers an introductory foray into the nature of relationships people today have with their ancestors, and explores the significance of ancestry and ancestral belief in our modern world.