Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Study of Religion
Sacred
Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples
/ˈseɪkrɪd/adjectiveCore term
In religious studies & theology, sacred means: Set apart and treated with special reverence because of a connection to God, the divine or religious tradition; often contrasted with the profane, or ordinary.
In Turkish: kutsal, mukaddes
How it is used
Common before nouns: sacred text, sacred space, sacred music, sacred site. As a noun, the sacred is a key concept in religious studies, especially in the work of Durkheim and Eliade, who contrasted it with the profane.
Example sentences
For many Hindus the river Ganges is sacred, and bathing in it has deep religious meaning.
Eliade argued that religious people experience certain places as sacred space.
Common collocations
sacred text
sacred space
sacred site
the sacred and the profane
sacred music
Related terms
divineRelating to God or a god, or coming from God; as a noun, the divine refers to God or the ultimate sacred reality in general terms.
religionA system of beliefs, practices, values and communities that relates people to what they regard as sacred, divine or ultimately real.
phenomenology of religionAn approach to studying religion that describes religious phenomena as believers experience them, while setting aside the question of whether their claims are true.
scriptureThe sacred writings of a religion, regarded by its followers as authoritative and often as revealed or inspired, such as the Qur'an, the Bible or the Vedas.
