What is sacred space?
Upon hearing the words “sacred” and “space” together, you may be inclined to think of a place of sanctity; spiritual spaces that invite prayer, worshipping of the divinities or a place built for peace and harmonious gatherings. Why were these spaces created? In the past, human beings believed that sacred spaces were an imperative method to reaching out to their divine gods and religions, as a link between mortal and god. These spaces have some relation Heidegger's concept of the four-fold: the idea of creating and implementing spaces that link to the earth, sky, mortals and divinities. He believed that this “bridge is a thing of this sort. The location allows the simple onefold of earth and sky, of divinities and mortals,
…show more content…
Of course, with different cultures and religions in different countries, many sacred spaces have varying visual forms and purposes; a circle of freestanding stones may not look similar to the Lotus Temple in India, but they may share some form of spiritual tranquility. The Pantheon, however, is a building that has no clear purpose as a sacred space, although it is rumored to have been a temple due to the style of the decorations. One thing for certain was the fact that it had been built in order to have some link to the divinities and the sky, hence Pantheon meaning “honor all gods” in Greek. The dome of the Pantheon had been built with near perfect hemispherical geometry, something that human beings consider divine-tier and something that they strive for when creating sacred space: the perfect geometry. Rudolf Wittkower argues that “natural creations, such as the proportions and symmetry of the human frame, the relationships between planets or the intervals of musical harmony, seemed to follow geometric ratios, and that if the products of architecture were to possess the same conceptual integrity they too should be designed using perfect figures, symmetry and harmonic mathematical proportions” (2009,
In the first chapter of One Sacred Effort the author sets out on a voyage to sketch a brief overview of what fuels the Baptists denomination. Generally, the first conviction to be addressed is the doctrine and authority of Scripture. Following the example of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 “historical Baptists have held that the Bible is God-breathed Scripture…and that it is a sufficient rule of faith and practice.” (1.1) As a result of viewing scripture in this light, other theological convictions and distinctions flow out of this. Such as, salvation through faith alone, soul accountability, the priesthood of all believers, autonomy of the local church, and the importance of proclaiming and advancing the gospel. Again, this is not an exhaustive list
Myths of Harmony by Marixa Lasso is a harrowing account of racial tension and deceit in the Age of Revolution in Colombia. The main theme of the book is that racial harmony is a myth that was cultivated during Colombia’s fight for independence (9). The author states that the lower classes were not any better off after the Revolution than before (4). The culture was known for caciquismo (patron-client relations) and fraudulent elections. These claimed racial equality, but in reality discriminated against certain races (4). Lasso discusses the role of the pardos - free Africans - community as a whole and their role in the political landscape. Racial identities were formed during the Age of Revolution by the struggles of the time period (152). The colonial wars during the Age of Revolution shaped the racial identities of numerous nations. Through racial visionaries, these nations chose a racial identity.
Thomas A. Tweed, in his article Space, defied Durkheim’s characterization of space as sacred vs. profane: he argued that spaces are not static and isolated, but “differentiated,” “kinetic,” and “interrelated.” As the holy city with cultural significance, and as the center of three major religions, Jerusalem is characterized by the Hebrew Bible as one of the religious spaces Tweed defines. THESIS: “Differentiated,” “Kinetic” “Interrelated”
The book Anatomy of the Sacred was an interesting read. I’ve learned a lot concerning
Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for
"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish” -John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961
The Dome of the Rock and the Pantheon are constructed similarly. The Dome of the Rock was even influenced by the Pantheon, built on a domed-central plan structure. While the two buildings look different in appearance, they have similar forms. They both contain geometric structures. In the front, the Pantheon has a porch, with a triangular top. Behind this porch is a cylinder base with a hemispherical dome
Arguably, one of the most influential structures of Rome was the Pantheon because of its immense size, and the use of concrete for the massive dome. This structure was named the Pantheon most likely because Pliny the elder, a spectator during the time of Vespasian 's rule saw this and referred to it as the “Pantheum”. Although the version of the Pantheon that Pliny the elder saw is not the Pantheon currently in Rome, there are many accounts of what it looked like, and why it was built. Agrippa’s Pantheon, the version that Pliny witnessed, or the original pantheon was built during the Pax Romana. This was a time of peace for the Romans, and to lead them in their endeavors was Emperor Augustus. During this time culture flourished because of there was no need to worry about necessities. From 31 BCE to 14CE the Pantheon was constructed to honor the Julian clan. The result of this was a south-facing rectangular building, with the Thermae of Agrippa, or the Roman public baths to the south. This temple was decastyle, meaning that is had 10 columns on each side. Pliny also mentioned that Diogenes of Athens was commissioned by Agrippa to create the caryatid columns. Caryatid columns are much like sculptures, in that they depict a person, but this person is standing in order to form a column to support another structure. To much dismay this temple was destroyed in the
The phrase “Holy Ground” is found only twice in Scripture. (Exodus 3: 5; Acts 7: 33) Both instances refer to the same plot of ground on the side of Mount Sinai, and, of course, this was the occasion of God speaking to Moses from the burning bush.
Pantheon located in Rome, Italy is the most well conserved architectural structure of the Roman period. Pantheon, initially a roman sanctuary worked to committed to every one of the divine beings, however in 609AD., it was transformed into a congregation and stays as it. Initially worked by Agrippa around 27BC under Augustus' lead however it was caught fire during 80D, under Emperor Domitian's care then build it again, yet was struck by lightning and burned down again in 110AD. The present Pantheon was worked in 120AD and finished by Emperor Hadrian alongside Apollodorus of Damascus. (Hannah and Magli 2011)
The Pantheon is an iconic part of architecture, particularly in the mediterranean. Constructed in Imperial Rome, the Pantheon was an incredible piece that forever influenced the basics of architecture. A similar piece, contemporary to the Pantheon, would be the Dome of the Rock. Found in Jerusalem, the Umayyad caliph built the shrine in the seventh century to serve a function as an Islamic shrine. Being the oldest extant Islamic monument known to man, the Dome of the Rock is sacred to both the Muslim and jewish religions.While being in completely different cultures, the Pantheon and the Dome of the Rock share numerous similarities varying from their functionality to the characteristic style of the domes.
: The structures that make up the Temple of Heaven are meant to signify the relationship between heaven and earth, more importantly the connection between the emperors and God. The through in It was believed that offerings made by the emperor to the Gods, would bring a flourishing harvests, as he was believed to be the closest being to god. The structure itself was built so majestically to represent it descending into heaven. The main ceremonies that were held within the hall were all on the basis of worshipping heaven and so it was believed by doing so, it would be seen as favorable to the gods, enough to be blessed with an abundance supply of harvests such as grain. The ceremonial interior of the hall was built in such a way as to emphasize
When thinking about sacred time from a religious point of view, this time could be specific festivals, commemorations or time that is used to place value on certain life events. This time is normally viewed as a time that is set apart from day-to-day living, signifying why it is sacred. However, in my opinion, Buddhism views this aspect a little differently. The process of Enlightenment has always been long and intricate, transforming through over millennia from something that was beyond achievable, to something that should be woven throughout everyday life (Lecture__). For those wishing to experience the true nature of reality, this sacred experience could be aspired to every day.
In Eliade’s The Sacred and the Profane, he accentuates the inevitable distinction between the sacred and profane.This develops when an individual tries to establish himself in his world and acknowledges his own individuality of the worldly and physical spaces he takes up. Chaos seems to be in the areas where the profane governs and there are no principles in a profane universe. The idea of the sacred comes from knowledge itself. The brahmanas defines religion and human existence with the sacredness embedded in water which brings forth life.
I decided to visit a Hindu temple because the Hindu religion was the religion that I knew the least about and was interested in. This assignment gave me an opportunity to learn more about this religion and what their worship services and rituals were like. The temple that I went to was called BAPS Shri Swaminaryan Mandir and it was located in Lilburn. As soon as I walked in, I was amazed by the beautiful architectural design of this Temple. It seemed like it took a lot of hard work and dedication to make the place what it is now. While I was at the temple, I watched the Hindus perform an ancient Vedic ritual called the Abhishek, a ritual bathing to honor the murti of their God.