What does the word sacred mean? What is Sacred? Meaning and interpretation of the word sakralnoe, definition of the term

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.

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 are talking 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”, 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 if their semantic load is 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 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 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 other world, 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

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, the 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. Moreover, this separation can arise and be expressed both in the external world and in the internal.

sacred, primarily related to religious cult and ritual. In a general cultural sense, it is used in relation to cultural phenomena and spiritual values. Sacred are values ​​that are enduring for humans and humanity, those that people cannot and do not want to give up under any circumstances.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

SACRED

from lat. sacrum - sacred) - everything that relates to cult, worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental - sanctified, holy, cherished. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as a shrine is subject to unconditional and reverent veneration and is protected with special care by all possible means. S. is the identity of faith, hope and love; its “organ” is the human heart. The preservation of a sacred attitude towards the object of worship is primarily ensured by the conscience of the believer, who values ​​the shrine more than his own life. Therefore, when there is a threat of desecration of a shrine, a true believer comes to its defense without much thought or external coercion; sometimes he can sacrifice his life for this. S. in theology means subordinate to God.

The symbol of sacralization is consecration, that is, a ceremony as a result of which an ordinary mundane procedure acquires a transcendental meaning. Initiation is the elevation of a person through an established sacrament or church rite to one or another degree of spiritual service. A priest is a person who is attached to the temple and performs all the sacraments except the priesthood. Sacrilege is a property attack aimed at sacred and consecrated objects and accessories of the temple, as well as insulting the religious feelings of believers; in a broader sense, it means an attack on a shrine.

In addition to the theological understanding of S. as a derivative of God, there is an extensive philosophical interpretation of it. For example, E. Durkheim used this concept to designate the natural historical basis of truly human existence, its social essence and contrasted it with the concept of individualistic (egoistic) existence. Some religious scholars consider the procedure of sacralization as an essential distinguishing feature of any religion - pantheistic, theistic and atheistic: religion begins where a system of sacralization of especially valuable ideals takes shape. The church and the state are developing a complex and subtle system of protecting and transmitting the sacred attitude of people to the basic ideals of the established culture. Broadcasting is carried out using mutually agreed upon methods and means of all forms of social life. Among them are strict rules of law and soft techniques of art. An individual from the cradle to the grave is immersed in the S system generated by the family, clan, tribe and state. He is involved in ceremonies, ritual actions, performs prayers, rituals, observes fasts and many other religious instructions. First of all, the norms and rules of attitude towards the near and far, family, people, state and the absolute are subject to sacralization.

The sacralization system consists of: a) the sum of ideas sacred to a given society (ideology); b) psychological techniques and means of convincing people of the unconditional truth of these ideas?) specific iconic forms of embodiment of shrines, sacramental and hostile symbols; d) a special organization (for example, a church); e) special practical actions, rituals and ceremonies (cult). It takes a lot of time to create such a system; it absorbs past and newly emerged traditions. Thanks to sacred traditions and the currently existing system of sacralization, society strives to reproduce a certain religion in all its horizontals (social groups, classes) and verticals (generations). When the chosen object is sacralized, people believe in its reality more strongly than in empirically given things. The highest degree of S. attitude is holiness, that is, righteousness, piety, pleasing to God, penetration with active love for the absolute and liberation of oneself from impulses of selfishness. Any religiosity is associated with S., but not every believer is capable of becoming a saint in practice. There are few saints; their example serves as a guide for ordinary people. Degrees of S. attitudes - fanaticism, moderation, indifferentism. S.'s feeling is whole, and the poison of doubt is deadly for him.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

What is Sacred? Meaning and interpretation of the word sakralnoe, definition of the term

1) Sacred- (from Latin sacrum - sacred) - see: SACRED

2) Sacred - (from Latin sacrum - sacred) - everything that relates to cult, worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental - sanctified, holy, cherished. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as a shrine is subject to unconditional and reverent veneration and is protected with special care by all possible means. S. is the identity of faith, hope and love; its “organ” is the human heart. The preservation of a sacred attitude towards the object of worship is primarily ensured by the conscience of the believer, who values ​​the shrine more than his own life. Therefore, when there is a threat of desecration of a shrine, a true believer comes to its defense without much thought or external coercion; sometimes he can sacrifice his life for this. S. in theology means subordinate to God. The symbol of sacralization is consecration, that is, a ceremony as a result of which an ordinary mundane procedure acquires a transcendental meaning. Initiation is the elevation of a person through an established sacrament or church rite to one or another degree of spiritual service. A priest is a person who is attached to the temple and performs all the sacraments except the priesthood. Sacrilege is a property attack aimed at sacred and consecrated objects and accessories of the temple, as well as insulting the religious feelings of believers; in a broader sense, it means an attack on a shrine. In addition to the theological understanding of S. as a derivative of God, there is an extensive philosophical interpretation of it. For example, E. Durkheim used this concept to designate the natural historical basis of truly human existence, its social essence and contrasted it with the concept of individualistic (egoistic) existence. Some religious scholars consider the procedure of sacralization as an essential distinguishing feature of any religion - pantheistic, theistic and atheistic: religion begins where a system of sacralization of especially valuable ideals takes shape. The church and the state are developing a complex and subtle system of protecting and transmitting the sacred attitude of people to the basic ideals of the established culture. Broadcasting is carried out using mutually agreed upon methods and means of all forms of social life. Among them are strict rules of law and soft techniques of art. An individual from the cradle to the grave is immersed in the S system generated by the family, clan, tribe and state. He is involved in ceremonies, ritual actions, performs prayers, rituals, observes fasts and many other religious instructions. First of all, the norms and rules of attitude towards the near and far, family, people, state and the absolute are subject to sacralization. The sacralization system consists of: a) the sum of ideas sacred to a given society (ideology); b) psychological techniques and means of convincing people of the unconditional truth of these ideas?) specific iconic forms of embodiment of shrines, sacramental and hostile symbols; d) a special organization (for example, a church); e) special practical actions, rituals and ceremonies (cult). It takes a lot of time to create such a system; it absorbs past and newly emerged traditions. Thanks to sacred traditions and the currently existing system of sacralization, society strives to reproduce a certain religion in all its horizontals (social groups, classes) and verticals (generations). When the chosen object is sacralized, people believe in its reality more strongly than in empirically given things. The highest degree of S. attitude is holiness, that is, righteousness, piety, pleasing to God, penetration with active love for the absolute and liberation of oneself from impulses of selfishness. Any religiosity is associated with S., but not every believer is capable of becoming a saint in practice. There are few saints; their example serves as a guide for ordinary people. Degrees of S. attitudes - fanaticism, moderation, indifferentism. S.'s feeling is whole, and the poison of doubt is deadly for him. D. V. Pivovarov

3) 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 of a creative state”, or a feeling of “numinous ", implying divine greatness. The sacred includes an element of “fear” of absolute power, and this is not fear of danger, not melancholy from the uncertainty of the future; and also – an element of the “mystery” of the unknowable; it is somewhat reminiscent of the feeling of “enormous”, while its object has a very definite “bewitching” power. In general, fear, mystery and fascination will be the three components of the sense of the sacred. Any religious feeling (sin, redemption, etc.) grows around this center. The sacred is opposed to the profane to the extent that it has a “power” that the profane lacks.

Sacred

(from Latin sacrum - sacred) - see: SACRED

(from Latin sacrum - sacred) - everything that relates to cult, worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental - sanctified, holy, cherished. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as a shrine is subject to unconditional and reverent veneration and is protected with special care by all possible means. S. is the identity of faith, hope and love; its “organ” is the human heart. The preservation of a sacred attitude towards the object of worship is primarily ensured by the conscience of the believer, who values ​​the shrine more than his own life. Therefore, when there is a threat of desecration of a shrine, a true believer comes to its defense without much thought or external coercion; sometimes he can sacrifice his life for this. S. in theology means subordinate to God. The symbol of sacralization is consecration, that is, a ceremony as a result of which an ordinary mundane procedure acquires a transcendental meaning. Initiation is the elevation of a person through an established sacrament or church rite to one or another degree of spiritual service. A priest is a person who is attached to the temple and performs all the sacraments except the priesthood. Sacrilege is a property attack aimed at sacred and consecrated objects and accessories of the temple, as well as insulting the religious feelings of believers; in a broader sense, it means an attack on a shrine. In addition to the theological understanding of S. as a derivative of God, there is an extensive philosophical interpretation of it. For example, E. Durkheim used this concept to designate the natural historical basis of truly human existence, its social essence and contrasted it with the concept of individualistic (egoistic) existence. Some religious scholars consider the procedure of sacralization as an essential distinguishing feature of any religion - pantheistic, theistic and atheistic: religion begins where a system of sacralization of especially valuable ideals takes shape. The church and the state are developing a complex and subtle system of protecting and transmitting the sacred attitude of people to the basic ideals of the established culture. Broadcasting is carried out using mutually agreed upon methods and means of all forms of social life. Among them are strict rules of law and soft techniques of art. An individual from the cradle to the grave is immersed in the S system generated by the family, clan, tribe and state. He is involved in ceremonies, ritual actions, performs prayers, rituals, observes fasts and many other religious instructions. First of all, the norms and rules of attitude towards the near and far, family, people, state and the absolute are subject to sacralization. The sacralization system consists of: a) the sum of ideas sacred to a given society (ideology); b) psychological techniques and means of convincing people of the unconditional truth of these ideas?) specific iconic forms of embodiment of shrines, sacramental and hostile symbols; d) a special organization (for example, a church); e) special practical actions, rituals and ceremonies (cult). It takes a lot of time to create such a system; it absorbs past and newly emerged traditions. Thanks to sacred traditions and the currently existing system of sacralization, society strives to reproduce a certain religion in all its horizontals (social groups, classes) and verticals (generations). When the chosen object is sacralized, people believe in its reality more strongly than in empirically given things. The highest degree of S. attitude is holiness, that is, righteousness, piety, pleasing to God, penetration with active love for the absolute and liberation of oneself from impulses of selfishness. Any religiosity is associated with S., but not every believer is capable of becoming a saint in practice. There are few saints; their example serves as a guide for ordinary people. Degrees of S. attitudes - fanaticism, moderation, indifferentism. S.'s feeling is whole, and the poison of doubt is deadly for him. D. V. Pivovarov

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 of a creative state”, or a feeling of “numinous ", implying divine greatness. The sacred includes an element of “fear” of absolute power, and this is not fear of danger, not melancholy from the uncertainty of the future; and also – an element of the “mystery” of the unknowable; it is somewhat reminiscent of the feeling of “enormous”, while its object has a very definite “bewitching” power. In general, fear, mystery and fascination will be the three components of the sense of the sacred. Any religious feeling (sin, redemption, etc.) grows around this center. The sacred is opposed to the profane to the extent that it has a “power” that the profane lacks.

Sacred

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 reality and exceptionally valuable. In many languages, this meaning is initially inherent in the semantics. word structure adopted for the name S.: lat. - sacer, Hebrew. - gadosh are associated with the meaning of separation, hiddenness, inviolability. For glory. *svet-, dating back to Indo-European. *k"wen-, the meanings of “increase”, “swell” are established, in a more specific cultural context - “filled with blessed alien power”. In the picture of the world, S. plays the role of a structure-forming principle: in accordance with the ideas about S., other fragments of the picture are built world and their hierarchy is formed.In axiology, S. sets the vertical of value orientations.

Historically, in all cultures without exception, the complex of ideas and feelings, the subject of which is S., found its most complete expression in religion. spirituality. The conviction in the existence of S. and the desire to be involved in it constitute the essence of religion. In religion, S. is presented in its ontological aspect as miraculous; German theologian R. Otto in classic. work "The Holy" (1917) indicated that for religions. S.'s consciousness is “completely Other.” In religion S.'s culture is not just a different reality, but also an absolute, eternal and primary reality in relation to the perishable world, in other words, S. is thought of as the substance of being. This substance is presupposed by such attributes, usually taken in the superlative degree, as rationality, immateriality, spirituality, power; in developed religions self-sufficiency is added to them. Being for religions. ontology, the “alpha” of being, the source and basis of existence, S. at the same time turns out to be its “omega” - eschatological closure closes on S. perspective of the created world. Therefore, in the context of religious culture, S. is fulfilled soteriologically. meaning: the acquisition of holiness is an indispensable condition and goal of salvation. Already in ancient cultures, the perception of S. as an ontological and soteriological value is supplemented by the perception of S. as perfect beauty and truth. At the same time, however, beauty and truth are not obligatory signs of S. in ancient cultures: S. can remain outside of positive ethical and aesthetic characteristics. S.'s isolation from the vicissitudes of profane, earthly existence and endowing it with the quality of truth puts S. in the position of an unshakable ideal, an exalted and faithful role model. In religion spirituality, ideas about S. are concretized through sacred images and sacred word, Logos. At the same time, however, religious. mentality is characterized by deep convictions based on religious data. experience and supported by the idea of ​​transcendence of S., in the inexpressibility of the true essence of S. and the experience of contact with it through the direct translation of knowledge into the language of “this-worldly” reality. Therefore, when describing S. in religion. In cultures, it is customary to use allegories and ami - verbal, musical, graphic. and others. The desire to convey the complex range of impressions from communication with S. encouraged the gifted to become religious. and artist people's attitude towards improving the forms of expression of thoughts and feelings, towards the complication of metaphors. presentation techniques, what does it mean? to a large extent enriched the language and content of culture.

Lit.: Bart R. Zero degree of writing // Semiotics. M., 1983; Frank S.L. Op. M., 1990; Vinokurov V.V. The phenomenon of the sacred, or the Rise of the Gods // Sociologos. Vol. 1. M., 1991; Barthelemy D. God and His Image: An Essay on Biblical Theology. Milan, 1992; Schmeman A. Eucharist: The Sacrament of the Kingdom. M., 1992; The existence of culture: sacred and secular. Ekaterinburg, 1994; Benveniste E. Dictionary of Indo-European social terms. M., 1995; Toporov V.N. Holiness and saints in Russian spiritual culture. T. 1. M., 1995; Durkheim E. Les forms elementaires de la vie religieuse. P., 1912; Otto R. Das Heilige. Gotha, 1925; Leeuw G. van der. Einfuhmng in die Phanomenologie der Religion. Gutersloh, 1961; Zaehner R.C. Mysticism, Sacred and Profane. N.Y., 1961.

1 Sooner or later, every person comes to the conclusion that the world in which he lives is not as simple and clear as they explain to us at school. Strange coincidences, unusual disappearances, terrible deaths that cannot be explained from a materialistic point of view, baffle people. Then he tries to figure out what is really happening in our reality. Today we will talk about another word, this Sacral, which means you can read a little lower. Add this interesting site to your bookmarks so you don't have to look for it again.
However, before I continue, I would like to show you a few more useful publications on random topics. For example, what does Kripovo mean, the decoding of the abbreviation LP, who is Niga, what does Nedotrakh mean, etc.
So let's continue Sacred meaning words? This term was borrowed from the Latin "sacralis", and is translated as "sacred".

Sacral- in a broad sense means everything that has to do with the mystical, otherworldly, religious, irrational, heavenly, divine


Sacred- this is everything that emphasizes, restores or creates a connection between people and the mystical world


Synonym of the word Sacred: ritual, sacred.


When people call certain things or actions sacred, they give them an otherworldly or sacred meaning.
Concept " sacral"is different from "holiness", insofar as it was first formed not in a religious, but rather in a scientific lexicon. Usually this term is used to refer to all known religions, including paganism, mythology and the very first beliefs of ancient people.
This word is used to describe things or phenomena related to esotericism, mysticism and magic.

The variety of sacred objects and concepts is quite large. These include all things, objects of art that are directly related to the divine. As a rule, we can talk here about church “utensils”.

Sacred time has nothing to do with the usual countdown of seconds and minutes “flying” by; with its help, initiates determine the order of conducting mysterious rituals and sacrifices.

Sacred books allow you to look at the presented religious teachings from different points of view. Sometimes this literature serves as an object of worship for believers.

Sacred place intended for communication with the higher world, the supernatural, otherworldly forces.

Sacred actions are intended to express worship of their deity, through worship or various rituals.

After reading this publication, you learned Sacred meaning words, and now you won’t fall into a stupor if you find this word again.