Kelly Cooke - outside reading
Landscapes of the Sacred
Kelly Cooke
Within ‘Landscapes of the Scared,’ written by Belden C. Lane lies a discussion of sacred places. The defining factors of sacred place are explained through the axioms of sacred place. The axiom that I will be discussing in this journal is the fourth and final axiom. I feel that it is a relevant piece of the conversation regarding how oral cultures connect to the surrounding landscapes. Lane states on page 19 of ‘Landscapes of the Sacred’ that, “A final axiom suggests that the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. One is recurrently driven to a quest for centeredness— a focus on the particular place of divine encounter— and then at other times driven out from that center with an awareness that god is never confined to a single locale.” I believe that oral cultures are more capable of acknowledging this axiom in their daily lives. The relationship that these communities hold with the surrounding landscapes are local because they are not experienced by people not living in the area. It is also universal in the way that these locations are sacred and interpreted as a type of center for the people living in these communities.
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