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Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
; is considered worthy of spiritual
respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...
or devotion; or inspires
awe Awe is an emotion comparable to wonder but less joyous. On Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions awe is modeled as a combination of surprise and fear. One dictionary definition is "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., ...
or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a " sacred artifact" that is venerated and
blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...
), or places (" sacred ground"). French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the
dichotomy A dichotomy is a partition of a whole (or a set) into two parts (subsets). In other words, this couple of parts must be * jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and * mutually exclusive: nothing can belong simulta ...
between the sacred and the
profane Profane may refer to: * Profane (religion), a thing which is not sacred * Profanity, foul language * ''Profane'' (film), a 2011 film * Profanity (instant messaging client) Profanity is a text mode instant messaging interface that supports the XM ...
to be the central characteristic of religion: "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to ''sacred things'', that is to say, things set apart and forbidden." Durkheim, Émile. 1915. ''
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life ''The Elementary Forms of Religious Life'' (french: Les formes élémentaires de la vie religieuse), published by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim in 1912, is a book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Durkheim attributes the deve ...
''. London: George Allen & Unwin. .
In Durkheim's theory, the sacred represents the interests of the group, especially unity, which are embodied in sacred group symbols, or using team work to help get out of trouble. The profane, on the other hand, involve mundane individual concerns.


Etymology

The word ''sacred'' descends from the Latin ''
sacer '' Sacer'' is Latin for "sacred". Sacer may also refer to: __NOTOC__ Latin terms *'' Homo sacer'', an obscure figure of Roman law who is banned. *''Apparatus sacer'', an overview of the different interpretations of the Old and New Testament by ...
'', referring to that which is '
consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
, dedicated' or 'purified' to the gods or anything in their power, as well as to '' sacerdotes''.


Distinction from "holy"

Although there are similarities between the terms ''sacred'' and ''holy'', which are also sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences.Difference Between Sacred and Holy
" ''Difference Between''. 26 September 2013.
''Holiness'' is generally the term used in relation to persons and relationship, whereas ''sacredness'' is used in relation to objects, places, or happenings. Thus, a saint may be considered as holy, but would not be viewed as sacred. Nonetheless, some things can be both holy and sacred, such as the
Holy Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
. While both words denote something or someone set apart to the worship of God and therefore worthy of respect and in some cases veneration, ''holy'' (the stronger word) implies an inherent or essential character. Holiness originates in God and is communicated to things, places, times, and persons engaged in His Service. Thus Thomas Aquinas defines ''holiness'' as that virtue by which a man's mind applies itself and all its acts to God; he ranks it among the infused moral virtues, and identifies it with the virtue of religion, but with this difference that, whereas religion is the virtue whereby one offers God due service in the things which pertain to the Divine service, holiness is the virtue by which one makes all one's acts subservient to God. Thus holiness or sanctity is the outcome of
sanctification Sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare la, sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. " ...
, that Divine act by which God freely justifies a person, and by which He has claimed them for His own.


Etymology of 'holy'

The English word ''holy'' dates back to at least the 11th century with the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
word '' hālig'', an adjective derived from ''hāl'' ('whole'), which was used to mean 'uninjured, sound, healthy, entire, complete'. The Scottish ''hale'' ('health, happiness, wholeness') is the most complete modern form of this Old English root. The word ''holy'' in its modern form appears in
Wycliffe's Bible Wycliffe's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of English theologian John Wycliffe. They appeared over a period from approximately 1382 to 1395. These Bible translati ...
of 1382. In non-specialist contexts, the term ''holy'' is used in a more general way, to refer to someone or something that is associated with a divine power, such as water used for baptism.


In academia


Hierology

Hierology ( Greek: ιερος, ''hieros'', 'sacred or 'holy', +
-logy ''-logy'' is a suffix in the English language, used with words originally adapted from Ancient Greek ending in ('). The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French '' -logie'', which was in turn inherited from the Latin '' -log ...
) is the study of sacred literature or lore. The concept and the term were developed in 2002 by Russian art-historian and byzantinist
Alexei Lidov Alexei Mikhailovich Lidov ( Russian: Алексей́ Михай́лович Ли́дов) is a Russian art historian and byzantinist, an author of the concepts ''hierotopy'' and ''spatial icon'', member of the Russian Academy of Arts. Life an ...
.


History of religions

Analysing the
dialectic Dialectic ( grc-gre, διαλεκτική, ''dialektikḗ''; related to dialogue; german: Dialektik), also known as the dialectical method, is a discourse between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing ...
of the sacred, Mircea Eliade outlines that religion should not be interpreted only as "belief in deities," but as "experience of the sacred." The sacred is presented in relation to the profane; the relation between the sacred and the profane is not of opposition, but of complementarity, as the profane is viewed as a
hierophany A hierophany is a manifestation of the sacred. The word is a formation of the Greek adjective ''hieros'' ( gr, ἱερός, 'sacred, holy') and the verb ''phainein'' (φαίνειν, 'to reveal, to bring to light'). Mircea Eliade The word ''hier ...
.


Sociology

French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the
dichotomy A dichotomy is a partition of a whole (or a set) into two parts (subsets). In other words, this couple of parts must be * jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and * mutually exclusive: nothing can belong simulta ...
between the sacred and the
profane Profane may refer to: * Profane (religion), a thing which is not sacred * Profanity, foul language * ''Profane'' (film), a 2011 film * Profanity (instant messaging client) Profanity is a text mode instant messaging interface that supports the XM ...
to be the central characteristic of religion: "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to ''sacred things'', that is to say, things set apart and forbidden." In Durkheim's theory, the sacred represented the interests of the group, especially unity, which were embodied in sacred group symbols, or totems. The profane, on the other hand, involved mundane individual concerns. Durkheim explicitly stated that the dichotomy sacred/profane was not equivalent to good/evil. The sacred could be good or evil, and the profane could be either as well.


In religion


Indic religions

Indian-origin religion, namely Hinduism and its offshoots Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, have concept of revering and conserving ecology and environment by treating various objects as sacred, such as rivers, trees, forests or groves, mountains, etc.


Hinduism

Sacred rivers and their reverence is a phenomenon found in several religions, especially religions which have eco-friendly belief as core of their religion. For example, the Indian-origin religions ( Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikism) revere and preserve the groves, trees,
mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
and rivers as sacred. Among the most sacred rivers in Hinduism are the Ganges, Yamuna,
Sarasvati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a god ...
rivers on which the
rigvedic rivers Rivers play a prominent part in the hymns of the ''Rigveda'', and consequently in early Historical Vedic religion, Vedic religion. Vedic texts have a wide geographical horizon, speaking of oceans, rivers, mountains and deserts. The Vedic land ...
flourished. The vedas and Gita, the most sacred of
hindu texts Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
were written on the banks of Sarasvati river which were codified during the Kuru kingdom in present day Haryana. Among other secondary sacred rivers of Hinduism are Narmada and many more. Among the sacred mountains, the most sacred among those are Mount Kailash (in TIbet), Nanda Devi, Char Dham mountains and Amarnath mountain,
Gangotri Gangotri is a town and a ''Nagar Panchayat'' (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi ...
mountain.
Yamunotri Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttark ...
mountain, Sarasvotri mountain (origin of Sarasvati River),
Dhosi Hill Dhosi Hill is an important Vedic period site, an extinct volcano, standing alone at the north-west end of the Aravalli mountain range. Its height varies from about 345 to 470 meters from the surrounding lands and 740 meters from the sea level. ...
, etc.


Buddhism

In Theravada Buddhism one finds the designation of ''
ariya-puggala The four stages of awakening in Early Buddhism and Theravada are four progressive stages culminating in full awakening (''Bodhi'') as an Arahant (SN 22.122). These four stages are Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, and Arahant. The oldest Bu ...
'' ('noble person'). Buddha described the Four stages of awakening of a person depending on their level of purity. This purity is measured by which of the ten '' samyojana'' ('fetters') and '' klesha'' have been purified and integrated from the mindstream. These persons are called (in order of increasing sanctity) '' Sotāpanna'', '' Sakadagami'', '' Anāgāmi'', and '' Arahant''.


Abrahamic religions


Christianity

More traditional denominations, such as the
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Catholic, Lutheran, and Methodist Churches, believe in
Holy Sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...
that the clergy perform, such as
Holy Communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
and
Holy Baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
, as well as strong belief in the Holy Catholic Church,
Holy Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
,
Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
, and the Holy Covenant. They also believe that angels and saints are called to holiness.


=Wesleyan-Arminian

= In Methodism, holiness has acquired the secondary meaning of the reshaping of a person through
Entire Sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
. It is understood as the purity of heart that occurs in a second definite instantaneous work. The term owes its origin to John Wesley, who stressed "scriptural holiness," as well as Christian perfection.
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
stated in The Plain Account of Christian Perfection that:
On January 1, 1733, I preached before the University in St. Mary's church, on 'the Circumcision of the Heart;' an account of which I gave in these words: 'It is that habitual disposition of soul which, in the sacred writings, is termed' holiness; and which directly implies, the being cleansed from sin 'from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit;' and, by consequence the being endued with those virtues which were in Christ Jesus the being so 'renewed in the image of our mind', as to be 'perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.'
The
Holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...
began within Methodism in the United States, among those who thought the church had lost the zeal and emphasis on personal holiness of Wesley's day. In the latter part of the 19th century, revival meetings were held, attended by thousands. In
Vineland, New Jersey Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 60,780. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 61,156 ...
, in 1867 a camp meeting was begun, and the National Holiness Camp Meeting Association went on to establish many holiness camp meetings across the nation. Some adherents to the movement remained within their denominations; others founded new denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, and the Church of God (Anderson). Within a generation another movement, the Pentecostal movement, was born, drawing heavily from the Holiness movement. Around the middle of the 20th century, the
Conservative Holiness Movement The conservative holiness movement is a loosely defined group of theologically conservative Christian denominations with the majority being Methodists whose teachings are rooted in the theology of John Wesley, and a minority being Quakers (Frie ...
, a conservative offshoot of the Holiness movement, was born. The Higher Life movement appeared in the British Isles during the mid-19th century. Commonly recognized outward expressions or "standards" of holiness among more fundamental adherents frequently include applications relative to dress, hair, and appearance: e.g., short hair on men, uncut hair on women, and prohibitions against shorts, pants on women, make-up and jewelry. Other common injunctions are against places of worldly amusement, mixed swimming, smoking,
minced oaths A minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by deliberately misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo word or phrase to reduce the original term's objectionable characteristics. An example is "gosh" ...
, as well as the eschewing of television and radio.


Islam

Among the names of God in the Quran is ''Al-Quddus'' (): found in Q59:23 and , the closest English translation is 'holy' or 'sacred'. (It shares the same
triliteral Semitic root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowels ...
,
Q-D-Š ''Q-D-Š'' is a triconsonantal Semitic root meaning " sacred, holy", derived from a concept central to ancient Semitic religion. From a basic verbal meaning "to consecrate, to purify", it could be used as an adjective meaning "holy", or as a s ...
, as the Hebrew '' kodesh''.) Another use of the same root is found in the Arabic name for Jerusalem: ''
al-Quds Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
'', 'the Holy'. The word '' ħarām'' (), often translated as 'prohibited' or 'forbidden', is better understood as 'sacred' or 'sanctuary' in the context of places considered sacred in Islam. For example: * the ''
Masjid al-Haram , native_name_lang = ar , religious_affiliation = Islam , image = Al-Haram mosque - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg , image_upright = 1.25 , caption = Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca , map ...
'', or the 'Sacred Mosque in Mecca', constituting the immediate precincts of the
Kaaba The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...
; * '' al-Haramain'', or 'the (two) Sanctuaries', a reference to the twin holy cities of Mecca and Medina; and * the ''
Haram ash-Sharif The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compou ...
'', or 'Noble Sanctuary', the precincts of the
Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock ( ar, قبة الصخرة, Qubbat aṣ-Ṣakhra) is an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, a site also known to Muslims as the ''al-Haram al-Sharif'' or the Al-Aqsa Compound. Its initial ...
and
al-Aqsa Mosque Al-Aqsa Mosque (, ), also known as Jami' Al-Aqsa () or as the Qibli Mosque ( ar, المصلى القبلي, translit=al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī, label=none), and also is a congregational mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situa ...
in Jerusalem.


Judaism

The Hebrew word ''kodesh'' () is used in the Torah to mean 'set-apartness' and 'distinct' like is found in the Jewish marriage ceremony where it is stated by the husband to his prospective wife, "You are ''made holy'' to me according to the law of Moses and Israel." (). In Hebrew, ''holiness'' has a connotation of ''oneness'' and ''transparency'' like in the Jewish marriage example, where husband and wife are seen as one in keeping with Genesis 2:24. ''Kodesh'' is also commonly translated as 'holiness' and 'sacredness'. The Torah describes the Aaronite priests and the Levites as being selected by God to perform the Temple services; they, as well, are called "holy." Holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. The Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the Temple in Jerusalem:
Holy of Holies The Holy of Holies (Hebrew: ''Qōḏeš haqQŏḏāšīm'' or ''Kodesh HaKodashim''; also הַדְּבִיר ''haDəḇīr'', 'the Sanctuary') is a term in the Hebrew Bible that refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where God's prese ...
, Temple Sanctuary, Temple Vestibule, Court of Priests, Court of Israelites, Court of Women, Temple Mount, the walled city of Jerusalem, all the walled cities of Israel, and the borders of the
Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...
. Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area. Likewise, the Jewish holidays and the
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...
are considered to be holy in time; the Torah calls them "holy ays ofgathering." Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists
39 categories of activity The 39 Melakhot ( he, ל״ט אבות מלאכה, '' lamed-tet avot melakhah'', "39 categories of work") are thirty-nine categories of activity which Jewish law identifies as prohibited by biblical law on Shabbat. Many of these activities are also ...
that are specifically prohibited.Mishna, Shabbat 7:2 Beyond the intrinsically holy, objects can become sacred through
consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
. Any personal possession may be dedicated to the Temple of God, after which its misappropriation is considered among the gravest of sins. The various sacrifices are holy. Those that may be eaten have very specific rules concerning who may eat which of their parts, and time limits on when the consumption must be completed. Most sacrifices contain a part to be consumed by the priests—a portion of the holy to be consumed by God's holy devotees. The encounter with the holy is seen as eminently desirable, and at the same time fearful and awesome. For the strongest penalties are applied to one who transgresses in this area—one could in theory receive either the death penalty or the heavenly punishment of '' kareth'', spiritual excision, for mis-stepping in his close approach to God's domain.


See also


References


Works cited

* Durkheim, Emile (1915) ''The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.'' London: George Allen & Unwin (originally published 1915, English translation 1915). * Eliade, Mircea (1957) ''The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion.'' Translated by Willard R. Trask. (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World). * Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl (2006) ''Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love.'' Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill. * Pals, Daniel (1996) ''Seven Theories of Religion.'' New York: Oxford University Press. US (pbk). * Sharpe, Eric J. (1986) ''Comparative Religion: A History'', 2nd ed., (London: Duckworth, 1986/La Salle: Open Court). US .


External links

{{wikiquote, Sacredness *
The Sacred and the Profane
by Carsten Colpe (Encyclopedia of Religion) Attributes of God in Christian theology Holiness Religious belief and doctrine