51 pages 1 hour read

Mircea Eliade, Transl. Willard R. Trask

The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1956

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Essay Topics

1.

Explain the concept of sacred space in Eliade’s thinking. How does sacred space operate in one example of a myth or ritual from a religion of your choosing? How does this compare to Eliade’s conception of sacred space? Use external sources and citations from Eliade.

2.

In Chapter 2, Eliade states “Christianity radically changed the experience and the concept of liturgical time, and this is due to the fact that Christianity affirms the historicity of the person of Christ” (72). Do you agree that the historicity of Jesus makes the experience of sacred time unique in Christianity, as opposed to other religions? Explain with references from the text.

3.

Eliade clearly does not believe that homo religiosus is its own unique species of human. Why, then, does Eliade use this term? Explain with references from the text.