Sacred Space - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 30 pages of information about Sacred Space.

Sacred Space - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 30 pages of information about Sacred Space.
This section contains 8,508 words
(approx. 29 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Sacred Space Encyclopedia Article

SACRED SPACE. A sacred place is first of all a defined place, a space distinguished from other spaces. The rituals that a people either practice at a place or direct toward it mark its sacredness and differentiate it from other defined spaces. To understand the character of such places, Jonathan Z. Smith has suggested the helpful metaphor of sacred space as a "focusing lens." A sacred place focuses attention on the forms, objects, and actions in it and reveals them as bearers of religious meaning. These symbols describe the fundamental constituents of reality as a religious community perceives them, defines a life in accordance with that view, and provides a means of access between the human world and divine realities.

As meaningful space, sacred space encompasses a wide variety of very different kinds of places. It includes places that are constructed for religious purposes, such as...

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This section contains 8,508 words
(approx. 29 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Sacred Space Encyclopedia Article
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Macmillan
Sacred Space from Macmillan. Copyright © 2001-2006 by Macmillan Reference USA, an imprint of the Gale Group. All rights reserved.