Brittany Moore- Landscapes of the Sacred #1

Landscapes of the Sacred was definitely my favorite book assigned for this class. It was the most interesting read, in my opinion. One of the most interesting and memorable topics in the reading was Lane's four axiems. These axiems help us understand sacred place. The first axiem: Sacred place is not chosen; it chooses. The second axiem: Sacred Place is ordinary place made ritually extraordinary. The third axiem: Sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. The fourth axiem: Sacred place is both local and universal. Knowing this four axiems made it easier to understand the sacred places that you see and read about in history books. I always wondered what made sites like Mecca sacred. I now know that it was not given the title of sacred land by people. (Because that cannot happen due to the first axiem.) It is sacred because the land, which is just ordinary land, was ritually made extraordinary. It also is recognized by those near Mecca and those far away. Because of Lane's Landscapes of the Sacred, I understand the characterization of sacred place.