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by Robin Sharma
The Sacred and the Profane summary
Mircea Eliade
Brief summary
The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade delves into the nature of religion and its role in human life. It explores how the sacred and the profane are perceived and experienced, providing a deeper understanding of the religious experience.
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The Sacred and the Profane
Summary of key ideas
The Intersection of Sacred and Profane
We delve into the deep territories of the sacred and the worldly in Mircea Eliade's The Sacred and the Profane. It outlines two modes of being in the world - the sacred, intensely real and meaningful, and the profane, lacking in spiritual depth.
Eliade suggests that the sacred emerges in a hierophany, an act of revelation where the sacred unveils itself to us. Sacred entities can range from gods and spirits to simply a sacred stone or tree. The sacred becomes identified with the concept of Being and is marked by symbolism, ritual, and mythology.
The Sacred Space and Time
The differentiation of sacred and profane is also seen in space and time. The sacred space is fixed and significant – often seen in religious monuments,while profane spaces are non-ordinal and lack religious importance. Eliade argues that there is an innate human tendency to construct sacred spaces as a means to communicate with the spiritual realm.
Similar to space, Eliade views time in terms of sacred and profane distinctions. The sacred time is cyclical and repetitive, corresponding to religious feasts and festivals. The profane time, on the contrary, is linear and historical and lacks spiritual significance.
Mankind's Religious Experience
The Sacred and the Profane explores how people often desire to dwell in the sacred and avoid the profane, to be in permanent communion with the sacred. However, Eliade elaborates this phenomenon isn't practical and as such, rituals are created to balance the two realms.
Eliade explores the concept of homo religiosus - humans that crave religious experiences and realization of the sacred. He argues that despite the modern world leaning more towards the profane, humans will always have an inherent need for the sacred, to interact with the spiritual realm.
The Modern Man and Ancient Sacredness
In the concluding parts of The Sacred and the Profane, Eliade concerns himself with the modern man and his relationship with the sacred. He expresses that while profane might predominate the modern world, remnants of the sacred persist.
He believes that there is always an underlying religious man beneath the layers of a modern man, an inherent nature that attaches existential importance to the sacred. It is this perpetuation of the sacred, Eliade concludes, that confirms the universality and timeless significance of the sacred in the human experience.
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What is The Sacred and the Profane about?
The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade explores the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane in various cultures and religions. By examining rituals, symbols, and myths, Eliade delves into the meaning and significance behind these concepts, revealing the role they play in human experience and shaping our understanding of the world.
Who should read The Sacred and the Profane?
- Individuals curious about the meaning and significance of religious and cultural practices
- Students and scholars studying anthropology, sociology, or religious studies
- People interested in exploring the interplay between the sacred and the profane in various societies
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