home Secrets of medicine What is sacred meaning? What is “sacred”: the meaning and interpretation of the word Sacred knowledge Sacred place

What is sacred meaning? What is “sacred”: the meaning and interpretation of the word Sacred knowledge Sacred place

The end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century is a unique time in many respects. Especially for our country and for its spiritual culture in particular. The fortress walls of the former worldview collapsed, and a hitherto unknown sun of foreign spirituality rose over the world of Russian people. American evangelicalism, Eastern cults, and various occult schools have taken deep roots in Russia over the past quarter century. This had positive sides- that's all today more people think about the spiritual dimension of their life and strive to harmonize it with a higher, sacred meaning. Therefore, it is very important to understand what the sacred, transcendental dimension of existence is.

The word “sacred” comes from the Latin sacralis, which means “sacred.” The stem sac appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European saq, the probable meaning of which is “to enclose, to protect.” Thus, the original semantics of the word “sacred” is “separated, protected.” Over time, religious consciousness deepened the understanding of the term, introducing into it a connotation of the purposefulness of such a separation. That is, the sacred is not simply separated (from the world, as opposed to the profane), but separated for a special purpose, as destined for a special higher service or use in connection with cult practices. The Hebrew “kadosh” has a similar meaning - holy, sanctified, sacred. If we're talking about about God, the word “sacred” is a definition of the otherness of the Almighty, his transcendence in relation to the world. Accordingly, as connected with this transcendence, any object dedicated to God is endowed with the quality of sacredness, that is, sacredness.

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Its scope can be extremely wide. Especially in our time - in the boom of experimental science, sacred meaning is sometimes attached to the most unexpected things, for example, erotica. Since ancient times we have known sacred animals and sacred places. There have been sacred wars in history, although they are still being waged today. But we have already forgotten what the sacred political system means.

Sacred art

The topic of art in the context of sacredness is extremely broad. In fact, it covers all types and areas of creativity, not even excluding comics and fashion. What do you need to do to understand what sacred art is? The main thing is to understand that its purpose is either to transmit sacred knowledge or to serve a cult. In light of this, it becomes clear why a painting can sometimes be equated with, say, scripture. It is not the nature of the craft that is important, but the purpose of application and, as a consequence, the content.

Types of such art

In the Western European world, sacred art was called ars sacra. Among its various types the following can be distinguished:

— Sacred painting. This means works of art of a religious nature and/or purpose, for example, icons, statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, etc.

— Sacred geometry. This definition includes the entire layer of symbolic images, such as the Christian cross, the Jewish star “Magen David”, chinese symbol Yin Yang, Egyptian ankh etc.

— Sacred architecture. In this case, we mean buildings and buildings of temple, monastery complexes and, in general, any buildings of a religious and mysterial nature. Among them can be the most simple examples, such as a canopy over a holy well, or very impressive monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids.

— Sacred music. As a rule, this refers to religious music performed during services and religious rites - liturgical chants, bhajans, accompaniment musical instruments etc. In addition, sometimes non-liturgical musical works are called sacred, due to their semantic load related to the sphere of the transcendental, or created based on traditional sacred music, such as, for example, many examples of new age.

There are other manifestations of sacred art. In fact, all its areas - cooking, literature, tailoring and even fashion - can have sacred significance.

In addition to art, such concepts and things as space, time, knowledge, texts and physical actions are endowed with the quality of sanctification.

Sacred space

In this case, space can mean two things - a specific building and a sacred place, not necessarily associated with buildings. An example of the latter are sacred groves, which were very popular in old times pagan dominion. Many mountains, hills, meadows, ponds and others still have sacred significance today. natural objects. Often such places are marked with special signs - flags, ribbons, images and other elements of religious decor. Their meaning is determined by some miraculous event, for example, the appearance of a saint. Or, as is especially common in shamanism and Buddhism, the veneration of a place is associated with the worship of invisible creatures living there - spirits, etc.

Another example of sacred space is a temple. Here, the determining factor of sacredness most often becomes not the holiness of the place as such, but the ritual character of the structure itself. Depending on the religion, the functions of the temple may vary slightly. For example, somewhere it is entirely the house of a deity, which is not intended for public visitation for the purpose of worship. In this case, honors are given outside, in front of the temple. This was the case, for example, in the ancient Greek religion. At the other extreme are Islamic mosques and Protestant houses of worship, which are specialized halls for religious meetings and are intended more for man than for God. In contrast to the first type, where holiness is inherent in the temple space in itself, here it is the fact of cultic use that transforms any room, even the most ordinary one, into a sacred place.

Time

A few words should also be said about the concept of sacred time. Things are even more complicated here. On the one hand, its flow is often synchronous with ordinary everyday time. On the other hand, it is not subject to the action of physical laws, but is determined by the mysterious life of a religious organization. A striking example is the Catholic Mass, the content of which—the sacrament of the Eucharist—over and over again transports believers to the night of the Last Supper of Christ and the Apostles. Time, marked by special holiness and otherworldly influence, also has sacred significance. These are some segments of the cycles of the day, week, month, year, etc. In culture, they most often take the form of celebrations or, conversely, days of mourning. Examples of both are Holy Week, Easter, Christmastide, solstices, equinoxes, full moons, etc.

In any case, sacred time organizes the ritual life of the cult, determines the sequence and frequency of rituals.

Knowledge

Extremely popular at all times was the search for secret knowledge - some secret information that promised its owners the most dizzying benefits - power over the whole world, the elixir of immortality, superhuman strength and similar things. Although all such secrets belong to sacred knowledge, they are not always, strictly speaking, sacred. Rather, they are simply secret and mysterious. Sacred knowledge is information about the other world, the abode of gods and beings of a higher order. As the simplest example Theology can be cited. Moreover, we are talking not only about confessional theology. What is meant rather is science itself, which studies, on the basis of some supposed otherworldly revelation of deities, the world and the place of man in it.

Sacred texts

Sacred knowledge is recorded primarily in sacred texts - the Bible, Koran, Vedas, etc. in the narrow sense words, only such scriptures are sacred, that is, claiming to be conductors of knowledge from above. They seem to literally contain sacred words, not only the meaning of which, but also the form itself is significant. On the other hand, the own semantics of the definition of sacredness allows us to include in the circle of such texts another type of literature - the works of outstanding teachers of spirituality, such as the Talmud, “The Secret Doctrine” by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or the books of Alice Beilis, which are quite popular in modern esoteric circles. The authority of such works of literature can vary - from absolute infallibility to dubious comments and author's fabrications. Nevertheless, by the nature of the information contained in them, these are sacred texts.

Action

Not only a specific object or concept can be sacred, but also a movement. For example, what is sacred action? This concept summarizes a wide range of gestures, dances and other physical movements that have a ritual, sacramental nature. Firstly, these are liturgical events - offering the host, lighting incense, blessings, etc. Secondly, these are actions aimed at changing the state of consciousness and transferring the internal focus to the realm of the otherworldly. Examples include the already mentioned dancing, yoga asanas, or even simple rhythmic swaying of the body.

Thirdly, the simplest of sacred actions are designed to express a certain, most often prayerful, disposition of a person - arms folded on the chest or raised to the sky, sign of the cross, bow and so on.

The sacred meaning of physical actions is to, following spirit, time and space, separate from profane everyday life and elevate both the body itself and matter in general into the realm of the sacred. For this purpose, in particular, water, housing and other objects are blessed.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the concept of sacredness is present wherever there is a person or the concept of the other world. But often this category also includes those things that belong to the area of the ideal, most important ideas of the person himself. Indeed, what is sacred if not love, family, honor, devotion and similar principles of social relations, and, more deeply, characteristics of the inner content of the individual? It follows that the sacredness of an object is determined by the degree of its difference from the profane, that is, guided by instinctive and emotional principles, the world. In this case, this separation can arise and be expressed as in outside world, and in the internal.

Different from everyday things, concepts, phenomena.

Sacred includes not only the sphere of religion, but also a wide range of ideas related to magic, esotericism, mysticism and holistic teachings. IN Lately this term is popular among representatives of right-wing nationalist movements, which oppose sacred How life principle commercialism of the consumer society. Sacred the opposite of profane, that is, worldly, everyday. The term has become widespread in the humanities, in particular thanks to the work of M. Eliade.

Holy, sacred, sacred - comparison of concepts

Sacred usually means specific objects and actions dedicated to God or gods, and used in religious rituals, sacred rites. Meanings of concepts sacred And sacred partially overlap, however sacred expresses to a greater extent the religious purpose of the object than its internal properties, emphasizes its separation from the worldly, the need for a special attitude towards it.

Unlike both previous concepts, Sacred appeared not in the religious, but in the scientific lexicon and is used in the description of all religions, including paganism, primitive beliefs and mythology. Sacred is a tracing paper from the English sacral, which appeared in the Russian language relatively recently. Sacred- this is everything that creates, restores or emphasizes a person’s connection with the otherworldly.

Write a review about the article "Sacred"

Literature

Becker G. Modern theory sacred and secular and its development// Modern sociological theory in its continuity and change/ Ed. Howard Becker and Alvin Boscov. M.: Foreign Literature Publishing House, 1961
Caillois R. Myth and Man. Man and the sacred. M.: OGI, 2003
M. Eliade. Sacred and profane. M., 1994
Girard R. Violence and the Sacred. M.: UFO, 2000 (2nd ed. - 2010)
T. Burkhard. Sacred art of East and West. Principles and methods. M., 1999
R. Otto. Sacred. About the irrational in the idea of the divine and its relationship with the rational. St. Petersburg, 2008
A. M. Lidov. Hierotopy. Spatial icons and paradigm images in Byzantine culture. M., 2009
M. A. Pylaev. The category “sacred” in the phenomenology of religion, theology and philosophy of the 20th century. Moscow: Russian state. Humanitarian University, 2011-216 p.
S.N. Zenkin. Non-divine sacred: Theory and artistic practice. – M.: RSUH, 2012
Zabiyako A.P. Category of holiness. Comparative study of linguistic and religious traditions. - M.: Moscow textbook, 1998. - 220 p.
.

Excerpt characterizing the Sacred

– Haven’t gone to bed yet? A? How do you think? “Don’t forget to get me a new Hungarian at once,” Rostov added, feeling the new mustache. “Come on, let’s go,” he shouted to the coachman. “Wake up, Vasya,” he turned to Denisov, who lowered his head again. - Come on, let's go, three rubles for vodka, let's go! - Rostov shouted when the sleigh was already three houses away from the entrance. It seemed to him that the horses were not moving. Finally the sleigh took to the right towards the entrance; Above his head, Rostov saw a familiar cornice with chipped plaster, a porch, a sidewalk pillar. He jumped out of the sleigh as he walked and ran into the hallway. The house also stood motionless, unwelcoming, as if it did not care about who came to it. There was no one in the hallway. "My God! is everything alright? thought Rostov, stopping for a minute with a sinking heart and immediately starting to run further along the entryway and familiar, crooked steps. The same door handle of the castle, for the uncleanness of which the countess was angry, also opened weakly. One tallow candle was burning in the hallway.
Old man Mikhail was sleeping on the chest. Prokofy, the traveling footman, the one who was so strong that he could lift the carriage by the back, sat and knitted bast shoes from the edges. He looked at the opened door, and his indifferent, sleepy expression suddenly transformed into an enthusiastically frightened one.
- Fathers, lights! Young Count! – he cried out, recognizing the young master. - What is this? My darling! - And Prokofy, shaking with excitement, rushed to the door to the living room, probably to make an announcement, but apparently changed his mind again, returned back and fell on the young master’s shoulder.
-Are you healthy? - Rostov asked, pulling his hand away from him.
- God bless! All glory to God! We just ate it now! Let me look at you, Your Excellency!
- Is everything all right?
- Thank God, thank God!
Rostov, completely forgetting about Denisov, not wanting to let anyone warn him, took off his fur coat and ran on tiptoe into the dark, large hall. Everything is the same, the same card tables, the same chandelier in a case; but someone had already seen the young master, and before he had time to reach the living room, something quickly, like a storm, flew out of the side door and hugged and began to kiss him. Another, third, same creature jumped out of another, third door; more hugs, more kisses, more screams, tears of joy. He couldn’t make out where and who dad was, who was Natasha, who was Petya. Everyone was screaming, talking and kissing him at the same time. Only his mother was not among them - he remembered that.
- I didn’t know... Nikolushka... my friend!
- Here he is... ours... My friend, Kolya... He has changed! No candles! Tea!
- Yes, kiss me!
- Darling... and then me.
Sonya, Natasha, Petya, Anna Mikhailovna, Vera, the old count, hugged him; and people and maids, filling the rooms, muttered and gasped.
Petya hung on his legs. - And then me! - he shouted. Natasha, after she had bent him to her and kissed his entire face, jumped away from him and holding onto the hem of his Hungarian jacket, jumped like a goat all in one place and squealed shrilly.
On all sides there were eyes shining with tears of joy, loving eyes, on all sides there were lips seeking a kiss.
Sonya, red as red, also held his hand and was all beaming in the blissful gaze fixed on his eyes, which she was waiting for. Sonya was already 16 years old, and she was very beautiful, especially at this moment of happy, enthusiastic animation. She looked at him without taking her eyes off, smiling and holding her breath. He looked at her gratefully; but still waited and looked for someone. The old countess had not come out yet. And then steps were heard at the door. The steps are so fast that they couldn't be his mother's.
But it was she in a new dress, still unfamiliar to him, sewn without him. Everyone left him and he ran to her. When they came together, she fell on his chest, sobbing. She could not raise her face and only pressed it to the cold strings of his Hungarian. Denisov, unnoticed by anyone, entered the room, stood right there and, looking at them, rubbed his eyes.
“Vasily Denisov, a friend of your son,” he said, introducing himself to the count, who was looking at him questioningly.
- Welcome. I know, I know,” said the count, kissing and hugging Denisov. - Nikolushka wrote... Natasha, Vera, here he is Denisov.
The same happy, enthusiastic faces turned to the shaggy figure of Denisov and surrounded him.
- Darling, Denisov! - Natasha squealed, not remembering herself with delight, jumped up to him, hugged and kissed him. Everyone was embarrassed by Natasha's action. Denisov also blushed, but smiled and took Natasha’s hand and kissed it.

The meaning of the word sacred can be found in ancient literature. The word is associated with religion, something mysterious, divine. The semantic content refers to the origins of all things on Earth.

What do dictionary sources say?

The meaning of the word “sacred” carries with it the sense of inviolability, something irrefutable and true. Naming things or events with this term implies a connection with unearthly things. There is always a certain cult, holiness in the origin of the described properties.

Let’s track what the word “sacral” means using existing dictionaries:

The semantic content of the word is contrasted with the existent and the worldly.
Sacred refers to the spiritual state of a person. It is assumed that the meaning of a word is learned through the heart through faith or hope. Love becomes a tool for understanding mysterious meaning term.
Things called “sacred” are carefully protected by people from encroachment. The basis is an undeniable holiness that does not require proof.
The meaning of the word “sacred” refers to such definitions as holy, true, cherished, unearthly.
Sacred signs can be found in any religion; they are associated with valuable ideals, often spiritual.
The origins of the sacred are laid by society through the family, state, and other structures.

Where does mysterious knowledge come from?

The meaning of the word “sacred” is passed on from generation to generation through sacraments, prayers, and through the education of growing offspring. The semantic content of sacred things cannot be described in words. You can only feel it. It is intangible and accessible to people only with a pure soul.

The meaning of the word "sacred" lies in scriptures. Only a believer has access to the tools to achieve knowledge of omnipresent knowledge. An object whose value is undeniable can be sacred. For a person, it becomes a shrine; for its sake, he could give his life.

A sacred object can be desecrated by word or action. For which the culprit will receive anger and curses from people who believe in the sacraments. Church rituals are based on ordinary earthly actions that acquire a different significance for the participants in the process.

Religion and sacraments

Sacred acts can only be performed by a person who has earned the recognition of believers. He is the link with parallel world, a guide to the other world. It is understood that any person can be enlightened and introduced to the mysteries of the universe through a ritual.

The higher the level of a person’s spiritual component, the more accessible the sacred meaning is. The priest refers to the bearer of the sacrament, and people turn to him to get closer to God, who is the source of everything sacred on Earth. One way or another, all people strive to know and join the clergy, following the established canons.

Additional definitions of the term

Historians and philosophers use the meaning of the definition of sacredness in a slightly different sense. In Durkheim's works, the word is designated as the concept of the authenticity of the existence of all humanity, where the existence of community is opposed to the needs of the individual. These sacraments are transmitted through communications between people.

Sacredness in society is stored in many industries human life. The knowledge base is formed thanks to norms, rules, and a general ideology of behavior. From an early age, every person is convinced of the immutability of true things. These include love, faith, the existence of the soul, God.

The formation of sacred knowledge takes centuries; a person does not need proof of the existence of mysterious knowledge. Confirmation for him are miracles that occur in daily life thanks to rituals, prayers, and the actions of clergy.

The end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century is a unique time in many respects. Especially for our country and for its spiritual culture in particular. The fortress walls of the former worldview collapsed, and a hitherto unknown sun of foreign spirituality rose over the world of Russian people. American evangelicalism, Eastern cults, and various occult schools have taken deep roots in Russia over the past quarter century. This also had positive aspects - today more and more people are thinking about the spiritual dimension of their lives and strive to harmonize it with a higher, sacred meaning. Therefore, it is very important to understand what the sacred, transcendental dimension of existence is.

Etymology of the word

The word “sacred” comes from the Latin sacralis, which means “sacred.” The stem sac appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European saq, the probable meaning of which is “to enclose, to protect.” Thus, the original semantics of the word “sacred” is “separated, protected.” over time, deepened the understanding of the term, introducing into it a connotation of the purposefulness of such a separation. That is, the sacred is not simply separated (from the world, as opposed to the profane), but separated for a special purpose, as destined for a special higher service or use in connection with cult practices. The Hebrew “kadosh” has a similar meaning - holy, sanctified, sacred. If we are talking about God, the word “sacred” refers to the otherness of the Almighty, his transcendence in relation to the world. Accordingly, as connected with this transcendence, any object dedicated to God is endowed with the quality of sacredness, that is, sacredness.

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Sacred art

The topic of art in the context of sacredness is extremely broad. In fact, it covers all types and areas of creativity, not even excluding comics and fashion. What do you need to do to understand what sacred art is? The main thing is to understand that its purpose is either to transmit sacred knowledge or to serve a cult. In light of this, it becomes clear why sometimes a painting can be equated, say, with the It is not the nature of the craft that is important, but the purpose of the application and, as a consequence, the content.

Types of such art

In the Western European world, sacred art was called ars sacra. Among its various types the following can be distinguished:

Sacred painting. This means works of art of a religious nature and/or purpose, for example, icons, statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, etc.

Sacred geometry. This definition includes the entire layer of symbolic images, such as the Christian cross, the Jewish star "Magen David", the Chinese yin-yang symbol, the Egyptian ankh, etc.

Sacred architecture. In this case, we mean buildings and buildings of temple, monastery complexes and, in general, any buildings of a religious and mysterial nature. Among them can be the most simple examples, such as a canopy over a holy well, or very impressive monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids.

Sacred music. As a rule, this refers to religious music performed during divine services and religious rites - liturgical chants, bhajans, accompaniment of musical instruments, etc. In addition, sometimes non-liturgical musical works are called sacred, which in their semantic load are related to the sphere of the transcendental, or created based on traditional sacred music, such as many new age samples.

There are other manifestations of sacred art. In fact, all its areas - cooking, literature, tailoring and even fashion - can have sacred significance.

In addition to art, such concepts and things as space, time, knowledge, texts and physical actions are endowed with the quality of sanctification.

Sacred space

In this case, space can mean two things - a specific building and a sacred place, not necessarily associated with buildings. An example of the latter is the sacred groves, which were very popular in former times of pagan rule. Many mountains, hills, meadows, ponds and other natural objects still have sacred significance today. Often such places are marked with special signs - flags, ribbons, images and other elements of religious decor. Their meaning is determined by some miraculous event, for example, the appearance of a saint. Or, as is especially common in shamanism and Buddhism, the veneration of a place is associated with the worship of the invisible creatures living there - spirits, etc.

Time

A few words should also be said about the concept of sacred time. Things are even more complicated here. On the one hand, its flow is often synchronous with ordinary everyday time. On the other hand, it is not subject to the action of physical laws, but is determined by the mysterious life of a religious organization. A striking example is the Catholic Mass, the content of which - the sacrament of the Eucharist - time after time transports believers to the night of Christ and the apostles. Time, marked by special holiness and otherworldly influence, also has sacred significance. These are some segments of the cycles of the day, week, month, year, etc. In culture, they most often take the form of celebrations or, conversely, days of mourning. Examples of both are Holy Week, Easter, Christmastide, solstices, equinoxes, full moons, etc.

In any case, sacred time organizes the ritual life of the cult, determines the sequence and frequency of rituals.

Knowledge

Extremely popular at all times was the search for secret knowledge - some secret information that promised its owners the most dizzying benefits - power over the whole world, superhuman strength and the like. Although all such secrets belong to sacred knowledge, they are not always, strictly speaking, sacred. Rather, they are simply secret and mysterious. Sacred knowledge is information about the abode of gods and beings of a higher order. The simplest example is theology. Moreover, we are talking not only about confessional theology. What is meant rather is science itself, which studies, on the basis of some supposed otherworldly revelation of deities, the world and the place of man in it.

Sacred texts

Sacred knowledge is recorded primarily in sacred texts - the Bible, Koran, Vedas, etc. In the narrow sense of the word, only such scriptures are sacred, that is, claiming to be conductors of knowledge from above. They seem to literally contain sacred words, not only the meaning of which, but also the form itself is significant. On the other hand, the own semantics of the definition of sacredness allows us to include in the circle of such texts another type of literature - the works of outstanding teachers of spirituality, such as the Talmud, “The Secret Doctrine” by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or the books of Alice Beilis, which are quite popular in modern esoteric circles. The authority of such works of literature can vary - from absolute infallibility to dubious comments and author's fabrications. Nevertheless, by the nature of the information contained in them, these are sacred texts.

Action

Thirdly, the simplest of sacred actions are called upon to express a certain, most often prayerful, disposition of a person - arms folded on the chest or raised to the sky, a bow, and so on.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the concept of sacredness is present wherever there is a person or the concept of the other world. But often this category also includes those things that belong to the area of the ideal, most important ideas of the person himself. Indeed, what is sacred if not love, family, honor, devotion and similar principles of social relations, and, more deeply, characteristics of the inner content of the individual? It follows that the sacredness of an object is determined by the degree of its difference from the profane, that is, guided by instinctive and emotional principles, the world. Moreover, this separation can arise and be expressed both in the external world and in the internal.

Inherently incomprehensible; phenomenologically sacred - marvelous, amazing; axiologically - imperative, deeply revered.

Ideas about the sacred are most fully expressed in the religious worldview, where the sacred refers to those entities that are the object of worship. The belief in the existence of the sacred and being involved in it constitute the essence of religion. In a developed religious consciousness, the sacred is soteriological of high dignity: the acquisition of holiness is an indispensable condition and goal of salvation.

In the philosophy of religion of the 20th century. The doctrine of the sacred as a constitutive element of religion is expanded from various religious positions. E. Durkheim in his work “Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Totemic in Australia” (Les formes élémentaires de la vie religieuse. Système totémique d "Australie, 1912) critically revised the idea that religion should be defined from the concept of deity or the concept of the supernatural. The concept of deity, according to Durkheim, is not universal and does not explain everything diversity of religious life; the supernatural appears late - outside of classical antiquity. On the contrary, all religions, already at an early stage, are characterized by the division of the world into two areas - secular (profane) and sacred, which are placed by religious consciousness in the position of antagonists. The basis of such opposition is, according to Durkheim , the most important of the sacred is its inviolability, separation, forbiddenness. The forbiddenness, tabooness of the sacred is a collective establishment. This position allowed Durkheim to argue that the sacred is essentially social: social groups give their highest social and moral motives the appearance of sacred images, symbols, thereby achieving from the individual's categorical submission to collective demands. Durkheim's approach was supported by M. Mauss, who, reducing the sacred to social values, insisted that sacred phenomena are essentially those social phenomena that, due to their importance for the group, are declared inviolable. In the sociological concept of T. Lukman, the sacred acquires “strata of meanings”, to which the everyday is attributed as the final authority.

R. Ommo sharply disagrees with the sociological interpretation of the saint. If Durkheim hoped to overcome the extremes of apriorism and empiricism in explaining the holy, then Otto, a follower of I. Kant, built his book “The Holy” (Das Heilige, 1917) on the idea of the apriority of this category. According to Otto, it is formed in the process of synthesis of rational and irrational aspects of cognition with the primacy of irrational principles. Turning to the study of religious experience, Otto discovered in the “foundation of the soul” the a priori source of the category of the saint and religiosity in general - the special “mood of the spirit” and the intuition of the saint. The “attitude of the spirit”, from the development of which the category of the saint grows, was called by the German “numinous” (from the Latin - divine power), highlighting the most important psychological components of the numinous: “the feeling of creatureliness”; misterium tremendum (a feeling of awe-inspiring mystery - the “Completely Other” (Ganz Andere), which plunges one into awe in one mode of perception, and into horror in another with its eerie and majestic side, leading a person into ecstasy); the feeling of fascinans (from Latin fascino - to enchant, to bewitch) - a positive feeling of attraction, enchantment, admiration that arises in contact with mystery. When a complex of numinous feelings arises, it immediately has the status of absolute value. Otto designates this numinous value with the concept sanctum (Latin sacred), in its ultimate irrational aspect - augustum (Latin sacred). Apriorism allowed Otto to justify his refusal to reduce the category of the holy (and religion in general) to any social, rational or ethical principles. According to Otto, rationalization and ethizapy of the category of the saint are the fruit of later additions to the numinous core, and numinous value is the primary source of all other objective values. Since, according to Otto, the true saint is elusive in concepts, it imprinted itself in “ideograms” - “pure symbols” expressing the numinous mood of the spirit.

Otgo's research made a major contribution to the phenomenological approach to the study of the category of the sacred and to the phenomenology of religion in general. The Dutch phenomenologist of religion G. van der Leeuw in his work “Introduction to the Phenomenology of Religion” (1925) examined in a comparative manner the category of the holy from a historical perspective - from the initial, archaic stage to the category of Christian consciousness. G. Van der Leeuw, like N. Söderblom before him, emphasized in the category of holiness the meaning of strength and power (in Otto - majestas). G. Van der Leeuw brought the category of saint closer to the term “mana” borrowed from ethnology. Having opened wide access to historically specific archaic realities through such a rapprochement, the Dutch philosopher of religion set the theological (“God”), anthropological (“holy man”), spatiotemporal (“sacred time”, “sacred place”), ritual (“sacred word”, “taboo”) and other dimensions of the category of the holy.

Otto gave priority to the description of the numinous content of religious experience, ultimately striving to outline the contours of that transcendental reality that manifests itself in the experience of the saint. The metaphysics of the saint was the ultimate goal of Otto's theological phenomenology. M. Eliade, a follower of the German philosopher, did not inherit an interest in metaphysical problems. The focus of Eliade’s (“The Sacred and the Profane” - Le sacré et te profane, 1965*; etc.) is hierophany - the discovery of the sacred in the profane, profane sphere. In terms of hierophany, Eliade interprets religious symbolism, mythology, rituals, and the worldview of a religious person. The ideas and validity of Eliade’s conclusions have caused serious criticism. It is fundamentally important that Eliade’s central point - about the universality of the antagonism of the “sacred” and the “profane”, which brings his position closer to the position of Durkheim, does not find its confirmation.

Psychologization of the category of the sacred, rooting its foundations in the irrational layers of spiritual life - characteristic phenomenology of religion. However, the phenomenological approach, especially the approach of theological phenomenology, implies that in the act of religious experience or in the event of hierophany, a certain transcendental one makes itself known, which acts as the objectively existing substance of the saint. In the teachings of Z. Freud and in psychoanalytic religious studies (G. Roheim and others), the category of the saint has no basis other than psychological. The sacred in its origin and being is for Freud “something that cannot be touched,” sacred images personify first of all the prohibition, initially the prohibition of incest (Moses the Man and the Monotheistic, 1939). The saint does not have qualities that exist independently of infantile desires and, for the saint, according to Freud, is a “lasting forefather” - lasting in the psychic space of the conscious and unconscious as a kind of “psychic condensate”.

Data of religious language, doctrine, cult different religions indicate that the category of the sacred, being a universal category of religious consciousness, has specific content in each of its specific historical manifestations. Comparative study shows that the historical types of the category of the sacred cannot be described by subsuming them under any one essential sign (“gabbed”, “other”, etc.) or a universal combination of signs (“horrifying”, “admiring” and etc.). In terms of content, the category of the sacred is as diverse and mobile as the ethnoreligious ones are unique and dynamic.

A. P. Zabiyako

New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .

See what “SACRAL” is in other dictionaries:

- (from lat. “ dedicated to the gods”, “sacred”, “forbidden”, “cursed”) holy, sacred, the most important ideological category, highlighting areas of existence and states of existence, perceived by consciousness as fundamentally different from everyday life... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies

- (from English sacral and Latin sacrum sacred, dedicated to the gods) in a broad sense, everything related to the Divine, religious, heavenly, otherworldly, irrational, mystical, different from everyday things, ... ... Wikipedia

SACRED- feeling religious. As a rule, the concept of the sacred is associated with that which surpasses a person, causing him not only respect and admiration, but also a special zeal, which Otto in his essay “The Sacred” (1917) defines as “a feeling ... ... Eurasian wisdom from A to Z. Explanatory dictionary

SACRED- a feeling of the religious. As a rule, the concept of the sacred is associated with that which surpasses a person, causing him not only respect and admiration, but also a special zeal, which Otto in his essay “The Sacred” (1917) defines as “a feeling ... ... Philosophical Dictionary

sacred- 1. The concept of Coro and the opposition between Coro and profane spread in the social sciences ca. hundred years ago, in particular thanks to the works of E. Durkheim. A. Hubert and M. Moss were among the first to use the words “Soe” and “profane” as... ... Dictionary of Medieval Culture

sacred- HOLY, holy, sacred (Latin sacer, French sacre, English sacred) category denoting a property, the possession of which puts an object in a position of exceptional significance, enduring value and on this basis requires... ... Encyclopedia of Epistemology and Philosophy of Science

SACRED- (SACRED) According to E. Durkheim, all religious beliefs in one way or another classify phenomena, relating them either to the realm of the sacred (sacred) or to the realm of the profane (secular). The realm of the sacred includes those phenomena that... ... Sociological Dictionary

Sacred- - something that people reverence as extraordinary, leading to a feeling of awe and reverence... Dictionary-reference book for social work

SACRED- (from Latin sacrum sacred) everything that relates to cult, worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental consecrated, holy, treasured. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as sacred is subject to unconditional and... Modern philosophical dictionary

Diagnostics and diseases. Medicines from A to Z

What is sacred meaning? What is “sacred”: the meaning and interpretation of the word Sacred knowledge Sacred place

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Sacred art

Types of such art

Sacred space

Time

Knowledge

Sacred texts

Action

Conclusion

Holy, sacred, sacred - comparison of concepts

see also

Write a review about the article "Sacred"

Literature

Links

Excerpt characterizing the Sacred

What do dictionary sources say?

Where does mysterious knowledge come from?

Religion and sacraments

Additional definitions of the term

Etymology of the word

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Sacred art

Types of such art

Sacred space

Time

Knowledge

Sacred texts

Action

Conclusion

See what “SACRAL” is in other dictionaries: