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1

Colaco, Louella, Arun S. Nair, Anurag Madnawat, and Biju K. Raveendran. "SACRED." International Journal of e-Collaboration 19, no. 1 (2023): 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijec.315782.

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Collaborative research is an opportunity to bring creative minds together and blend multiple disciplines to churn out innovative solutions. In this era of massive social media and information overload, a streamlined process framework with best practices and procedures is a requirement for genuine scientific collaboration. The main aim of this work is to bring forth a software-centric framework for harmonizing research. SACRED is the outcome of experiences gained during the development of ‘ARMS'-An Analysis Framework for Mixed Criticality Systems. ARMS is a collaborative platform to disseminate research and literature in real-time mixed criticality systems. ARMS is hosted on Amazon Amplify with the user interface implemented using the ReactJS framework. SACRED summarizes the software-centric process, practices and procedures followed, and renders it for similar collaborations in the future.
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Ayu Lestari, Zakia, Rendi Syafutra, and Sinta Desta Rina. "Sacred Forests and Sustainable Practices." Global Review of Tourism and Social Sciences 1, no. 3 (2025): 298–311. https://doi.org/10.53893/grtss.v1i3.347.

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This study explores the Lom Tribe’s indigenous knowledge in disaster mitigation, emphasizing their early warning systems, sustainable land management, adaptive architecture, and spiritual beliefs. The findings reveal that the Lom Tribe relies on environmental cues such as bird migration, wind patterns, and water levels to predict natural disasters, while their sacred forest conservation and rotational farming techniques help prevent ecological degradation. Additionally, their stilt house architecture reduces flood risks, and spiritual rituals reinforce environmental responsibility and community resilience. Despite these effective strategies, challenges such as modernization, lack of formal documentation, and policy disconnects hinder integration with formal disaster risk management frameworks. This study contributes to the discourse on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRM), advocating for stronger collaboration between indigenous communities, researchers, and policymakers. Future research should explore comparative studies and policy frameworks to formalize indigenous disaster mitigation within national and regional governance systems.
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Barkey, Karen. "Shared Sacred Sites." Journal of Law, Religion and State 9, no. 1 (2021): 67–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22124810-00803002.

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Abstract This paper analyzes the conditions under which the sharing of sacred sites in Turkey is still possible despite the serious Sunnification campaign of the akp regime. I argue that ideological, cultural, and pragmatic motivations led the Turkish state to refrain from interfering in practices the ruling party deems sacrilegious and distasteful.
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Kofi Sarfo-Adu, Gordon, Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Mark Aferdi Dadebo, Gladys Nkrumah, and David Kwaku Galley. "Management of Sacred Groves and Customary Practices in Pursuit of Sustainable Forest Management." Journal of Environment and Ecology 13, no. 1 (2022): 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jee.v13i1.19836.

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The goal of this investigation was to identify the customary practices on sacred groves and how they can help in achieving sustainable forest management in Ghana. The study examines forest management, deforestation, and sustainable forest management concepts. A case study of Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and Malshegu Sacred Groves was explored. Interviews with community members were executed. Also, some secondary data on these two sacred groves were equally examined. The study found that taboos and other cultural beliefs were used to protect the sacred grooves with little government support. The study recommends that the state should make laws through the environmental protection agency and the forestry commission to support the cultural practices to achieve sustainable forest management.
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Rico, Paulo G. Tolentino. "Archaeology of Sacred Symbols: The Lost Meaning and Interpretations." International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research 3, no. 10 (2019): 66–71. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3662368.

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Sacred symbols are seen as the representation of culture and beliefs of people which describe how they interact with their environment and spiritual being. Some of these symbols represent luck, some represent spiritualities, some represents powers, and some are just an emblem. The topic I shall discuss in this essay are: when and how do sacred symbols become part of a culture; why do the meaning of sacred symbols misperceive over time; how archaeology interprets sacred symbols; and how astrology and sacred geometry contribute to the sacred symbol interpretations? The concepts come to my consciousness are the sacred – spiritual/religious symbols which have been used by many groups of people within and across cultures for ritual practices or simple expressions through an iconic figure of geometrical patterns or human other-than-human form. It is interlaced with the fundamental values and beliefs associated with the strange, mystical and unexplained meaning of astrology. A sacred symbol does not merely signify the image of spiritualities and other religious practices and identities. Sacred symbols conform to astrology where the placement and cosmic patterns commonly dictate the way of living and the cultural belief of man.
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Makartsev, Maxim, and Alexandra Dugushina. "Sacred Practices of the Christian Orthodox and the Muslims in the Mixed Shrines in the Devoll Region (South-East Albania)." Centre of Linguocultural Research Balcanica. Proceedings of Round Tables 7 (2022): 106–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.31168/2619-0842.2022.7.06.

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The article portrays the mixed sacred practices of the Christians and the Muslims in the Devoll region in southeastern Albania: in the Satrivaç Orthodox sanctuary in the village Hoçisht (Satrivaç or Shatrivaç) and the Bektashi sanctuary in the village Kuç (Inonisht). Based on the materials of the field work in Devoll in July 2019 and July 2021, the authors consider how sacred practices in the space of sanctuaries are distinguished by representatives of different (ethno)confessional groups of pilgrims (Orthodox and Muslim, Albanian, Macedonian, and Roma), as well as how practices of different genesis (Orthodox, Islamic, vernacular) are associated with the idea of a common sacred place (vakëf) regardless of its nominal confessional affiliation on the level of language and rituals. Considering the same audience of visitors and pilgrims in Satrivaç and Inonisht, the authors focus on the parallelism of sacred practices, elements of the infrastructure of the sanctuaries, and related terminology. Nevertheless, against the background of convergent vernacular practices and tolerant acceptance of religious differences, collective identities based on religious affi liation remain relevant boundaries in the communication of various Balkan communities.
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7

Sbardella, Francesca. "Against the sacred body." Human Remains and Violence 7, no. 1 (2021): 52–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.7227/hrv.7.1.5.

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In the Catholic areas of Europe, the human remains (both their bones and the fabrics they touched) of persons considered to have been exceptional are usually stored for transformation into relics. The production and the reproduction of the object-relic takes place within monasteries and is carried out firstly on the material level. In this article I intend to present in detail, from an anthropological standpoint, the practices used to process such remains, the role of the social actors involved and the political-ecclesiastical dynamics connected with them. Owing to obvious difficulties in accessing enclosed communities, such practices are usually overlooked in historiographical and ethno-anthropological analyses, while they should instead be considered the most important moment in the lengthy process intended to give form and meaning to remains, with a view to their exhibition and use in ritual.
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8

N’tambwe Nghonda, Dieu-donné, Héritier Khoji Muteya, Médard Mpanda Mukenza, et al. "Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Restoring and Managing Miombo Woodlands: A Case Study from the Lubumbashi Region, Democratic Republic of Congo." Forests 16, no. 3 (2025): 435. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030435.

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The overexploitation of forest resources in the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) leads to deforestation and miombo woodlands degradation, threatening local livelihoods. Current forestry policies are ineffective, partly due to neglecting traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This study identifies and describes TEK and practices related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable miombo woodlands management. Focus groups and interviews were conducted in four villages (Maksem, Mwawa, Nsela, and Texas), selected based on forest resource availability and population size. Data on sacred sites, conservation practices, knowledge transmission, ceremonies, and socio-demographic factors were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact test, and Jaccard’s similarity index. The findings revealed that 75% of respondents identified sacred sites where logging activities are strictly prohibited. Thirty sacred tree species were identified, with stronger compliance in villages with a high availability of forest resources. This TEK is predominantly transmitted orally through family councils, as well as traditional ceremonies or rituals. Conservation practices include small-scale farming, intercropping, avoiding tree cutting in sacred sites, and using deadwood. However, only farming and intercropping are still commonly practiced, particularly in resource-scarce villages (64%). Women and elders are primary custodians of TEK, though its application is constrained by population growth and dwindling forest resources. The findings emphasize the crucial role of TEK in strengthening forest restoration initiatives by selecting key woody species and sustainable practices, while fostering community involvement. As such, decision makers should prioritize integrating TEK into DR Congo’s forest policies to support biodiversity conservation and miombo woodlands restoration efforts.
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Van Wieren, Gretel. "The New Sacred Farm." Worldviews 21, no. 2 (2017): 113–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685357-02102002.

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The food and faith movement in the U.S. is a loose amalgamation of religious communities and organizations, clergy members and lay volunteers, activists and agricultural practitioners who are working, in varied and diverse ways, to address the social, ecological, political, and ethical challenges posed by current food systems. Oftentimes these groups work hand-in-hand with secular food and food justice organizations in organizing community supported agriculture projects, farm to school programs, educational efforts around health, nutrition, cooking, and gardening, and public policy advocacy efforts. What distinguish religious approaches to this work are the ritual practices and narrative tropes that oftentimes orient them. This paper explores some of these motifs by examining the work of three religious, community-based farming projects. It concludes that these religious farms and others like them should be considered sacred spaces for how they ritualize and symbolically interpret agricultural and food practices.
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Buckwalter, Melinda. "Hold my hand: A somatic analysis of Sacred Circle Dancing." Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices 12, no. 2 (2020): 239–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/jdsp_00026_1.

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In a recent ethnographic study of Sacred Circle Dancing, I noticed that prominent circle dancing websites focused on its meditative and community-building aspects, whilst distinguishing features of practice – circling, handholding, centring and the sacred – remain mostly unaddressed. Developed in 1976 for Findhorn’s spiritual community in Scotland, Sacred Circle Dancing is usually considered from a folk roots perspective. What might somatic analysis offer Sacred Circle Dancing? In their editorial note to the Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices (6:1) on dance and somatic practices across cultures, Sylvie Fortin and Andrée Grau describe a prototype for somatic analysis that uses embodied methodology and challenges logocentric ways of knowing. I argue that somatic analysis excavates a spectrum of values embedded in practice, vital for the ethnographer in understanding why a group chooses a particular dance form. In the case of Sacred Circle Dancing, a contemporary discourse emerges engaging intimacy, culture and identity, ecology and the sacred, suggesting that the practice addresses these needs.
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Kim, Seung Soo. "Religion, Migration, Mediation: The Transnational Lives of Thai Religious Imaginaries in South Korea." Religions 16, no. 6 (2025): 748. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060748.

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Research on religion and migration has often focused on institutions and belief systems, while overlooking how mediation links migrants, sacred objects, rituals, and religious imaginaries. This study advances mediation as a core analytic in religion–migration studies by examining the practices of ten Thai migrant students in South Korea through semi-structured interviews on Buddhist amulets, Hindu deity pendants, Catholic rosaries, merit-making, and the elevation of sacred objects. Guided by Meyer’s religion-as-mediation framework and Taylor’s concept of the social imaginary, the analysis shows that quotidian, embodied engagements with sacred objects mediate and materialize Thai Buddhist–Animist imaginaries in Korean settings, expanding, transnationalizing, and hybridizing them through encounters with the host environment. These practices not only sustain spiritual continuity, but also generate sacred transnational social spaces that bridge both the ontological divide between the human and the transcendent and the geographical divide between Thailand and Korea. Rather than being preserved through institutional affiliation, migrant religiosity is continually reconstituted through everyday embodied practices of mediation that render the sacred experientially real in the host society. By foregrounding mediation, this study offers a reconceptualization of migrant religion as an embodied, material, and world-making process—one through which migrants actively reimagine and inhabit sacred spaces across borders.
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Nyaupane, Pashupati. "Intangible Cultural Heritage Practices in Sacred Garden of Lumbini." Journal of Lumbini Engineering College 6, no. 1 (2024): 84–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/lecj.v6i1.66286.

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Similar to Mecca or Bethlehem, Lumbini is a significant pilgrimage center. UNESCO World Heritage Site Maya Devi Temple, which is situated close to a holy pool. This site has the archaeological remnants of brick structures built by Ashoka in the third century BC, as well as the discovery of a timber shrine from the sixth century BC. The ancient monastic remains at Lumbini, the sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan pillar, built by King Ashoka in 249 BC, and the Maya Devi Temple encompass the holy site. The sacred Bodhi tree, the Ashokan pillar, the Mayadevi Temple which is believed to be the place of the Buddha's birth and the remains of previous monasteries may all be found at Lumbini, a holy site. At the location, pilgrims from different nations chant and meditate from early dawn till early evening. Moreover, The Lumbini monastic zone is a model of meditation and spiritual living, enclosed away during its picturesque surroundings. The lessons of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, are repeated in this place by the rhythm of devotion and reflection through life. The intangible cultural heritage of Lumbini, the sacred place of Lord Buddha's birth, is a living collection of rituals, ceremonies, and traditions. Spiritual practices such as ancient meditation processes, lively folk dances, oral traditions, and sacred ceremonies are examples of these cultural intangibles. Lumbini's intangible heritage demonstrates to the vast spiritual and cultural heritage of Buddhism, connecting and encouraging gratitude among Buddhists worldwide.
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13

Howe, Edmund G. "“Sacred” Research Practices We May Want to Change." Journal of Clinical Ethics 10, no. 2 (1999): 79–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/jce199910201.

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14

Ekoue, Akouete Gale, Nankpakou Sama, Amavi Yodo, Kossi Adjonou, Komi Kossi-Titrikou, and Kouami Kokou. "Local Practices in Sacred Groves Management in Togo: A Comparative Study in Nawda, Ifè, and Ouatchi Lands." European Scientific Journal, ESJ 20, no. 14 (2024): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2024.v20n14p40.

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Local populations have ensured the sustainable management of forest resources by sanctifying areas of woodland. Despite the reduction of these sacred groves by multiple threats, including those caused by humans, they persist and demonstrate the community's desire for preservation. This paper focuses on increasing the comprehension of the management of local sacred groves within the Nawda, Ifè, and Ouatchi regions in Togo. Qualitative ethnographic analysis was employed to describe how the management practices are carried out and also to examine their underlying socio-cultural concepts. The findings of the study indicate that customary religious, family, and political authorities manage sacred groves. Management practices involve conducting ritual ceremonies and establishing rules and regulations. The socio-cultural representations that shape these management practices facilitate the definition of sacred groves as sites of shared memory, confer upon them the status of dwelling places of protective divine beings/ancestors, and identify them as sources of prosperity and abundance.
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Ristić, Nevena Debljović, and Irena Kuletin Ćulafić. "Sacred Networks and Spiritual Resilience: Sustainable Management of Studenica Monastery’s Cultural Landscape." Land 14, no. 5 (2025): 1011. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14051011.

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This study explores spiritual resilience as a mechanism for sustaining cultural landscapes, focusing on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Studenica Monastery (Serbia). By analysing the monastery’s sacred network, which includes monasteries, hermitages, and churches, the study demonstrates how material heritage (architecture, art), intangible practices (monastic life, liturgy, traditional crafts), and the natural environment (UNESCO MaB Golija–Studenica Biosphere Reserve) form a cohesive system of resilience. The concept of spiritual resilience is examined as a dynamic process that links sacred architectural structures and enduring religious practices with authentic land use preserved over centuries. We have utilised a methodological framework combining historical mapping, GIS viewshed analysis in spatial planning, and multidisciplinary data synthesis (historical, architectural, artistic, ecological, ethnographic) with resilience indicators aligned with the UNESCO’s Cultural Landscape approach. The findings reveal that Studenica’s sacred network operates as a coupled socio-ecological system. Spiritual practices, including annual processions and land stewardship rituals, have been identified as key factors in enhancing biodiversity conservation while mitigating land-use conflicts. Historical mapping has been used to highlight the overlap between sacred sites and protected ecological zones, reflecting traditional stewardship practices. By reframing heritage as an adaptive process where spirituality serves as a conduit between tradition and innovation, the study proposes replicable strategies for UNESCO sites worldwide. The concept of sacred landscapes as resilience hubs is furthered by alignment with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
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Al-Ajarma, Kholoud. "Sacred Waters." Comparative Islamic Studies 15, no. 1-2 (2025): 49–79. https://doi.org/10.1558/cis.27137.

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This article explores the historical and contemporary significance of two water springs, 'ayn al-'adra' and 'ayn Silwan, through the narratives of Palestinian women elders. These springs have been central to the local Palestinian population, serving as sources of water, healing, and spiritual connection among Muslim and Christian communities. The elders reveal not only how water springs were revered spaces of baraka (divine blessings) but also how women’s interaction with them became a source of multi-dimensional empowerment. The springs acted as unifying points of encounter, transcending social and religious divisions, and fostering communal connections. The article also examines the shift in water access and management in Palestine and how Israel’s colonial policies have contributed to this shift. It discusses how Israeli control over water resources, colonization efforts, and discriminatory practices have disrupted Palestinian access to these springs, aiming to erase their historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. Despite these challenges, the women elders’ narratives highlight the enduring struggle for justice, self-determination, and cultural preservation. The communal resilience displayed by these elders serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader Palestinian struggle, emphasizing the importance of collective action and resistance against dominant colonial narratives.
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Zulu, Phelire, Farrelli Hambulo, and Innocent C. Chomba. "The Role of African Indigenous Religion in Natural Resources Conservation among the Ngoni Speaking People of Mpezeni Chiefdom in Chipata District, Zambia." International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science VIII, no. VIII (2024): 1208–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2024.808090.

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Africa, Zambia in particular, is endowed with a rich and diverse natural resource base on which the livelihood of its people, especially rural constituents, depends. Over the years, traditional African societies have observed environmental religious ethics that have helped in regulating the interactions with the natural environment. However, rural parts of Zambia continue to experience indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. The objectives of this study were threefold; (i) to investigate the African indigenous religious beliefs and practices used to conserve natural resources by the Ngoni people, (ii) to describe how natural resources are conserved through religious beliefs and practices among the Ngoni people and (iii) to explain how African Indigenous Religious (AIR) beliefs and practices contribute to natural resources conservation among the Ngoni people. The study was qualitative in approach and adopted a case design to address the research questions. The data was collected through guided interviews. The study has established that among the Ngoni, taboos and totems are common beliefs and practices that help in conserving natural resources. The study also revealed that among the Ngoni natural resources are conserved in the form of sacred places such as; graveyards, sacred forests, sacred streams, and sacred animal and plant species. Study findings further revealed that among the Ngoni, things such as; hunting and setting fires in sacred areas, cutting trees for timber, and gathering plants for medicine is strictly regulated and sometimes completely prohibited. The study concludes that, among the Ngoni, African religious beliefs and practices have contributed to the creation of a culture where communities are highly integrated with nature, valuing it, respecting it, and striving to live in harmony with it. The Ngoni AIR beliefs and practices promote conservation of some trees and animal species which would have otherwise been extinct.
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Nche, George C., and Benson Ogar Michael. "“It Is Taboo to Clear Those Forests or Cut Trees from Them”." Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology 28, no. 3 (2024): 268–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685357-02803005.

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Abstract The preservation of sacred forests holds significant implications for environmental sustainability, yet mainstream conservation frameworks often overlook the integration of indigenous knowledge and religious practices. This study explored the preservation of sacred forests among the Abanyom people in Cross River State, Nigeria, and its implications for environmental sustainability. Data was elicited through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants comprising traditional leaders (n=12), clan heads (n=2), and chief priests (n=1), originating from Abanyom’s constituent clans—Abanyom (n=8) and Abangork (n=7). Through an investigation into the number, nature, taboos, rituals, and rationale behind the preservation of the sacred forests, the study highlighted the multifaceted significance of these forests to local communities. Findings revealed that the preservation of sacred forests is deeply rooted in cultural practices and serve as repositories of ecological, cultural, and spiritual value. The study emphasized the importance of integrating traditional ecological knowledge into modern conservation strategies. This includes promoting intergenerational knowledge transfer and fostering community stewardship to ensure the long-term protection of sacred forests.
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Lubis, Muhammad Fikri. "Pendekatan Antropologi Agama dan Kegunaanya Terhadap Kajian Living Hadis." TRANSFORMATIF 9, no. 1 (2025): 68–77. https://doi.org/10.23971/tf.v9i1.9641.

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This article contains research on the role of the anthropology of religion approach in the study of living hadith which is useful as a lens in viewing the reception and practice of society that departs from the sacred texts in Islam, especially the hadith. This study aims to explain the substance of religious anthropology and its role as an approach in studying the reception aspect of society, especially the phenomenon of the practice of social symptoms that originate from the hadith. This research is multidisciplinary in nature that integrates two scientific objects, namely anthropology and hadith studies, the meeting point between the two is the social aspect that cannot be separated from the two sciences, this research is based on literature studies by collecting primary and secondary data sources and collecting information from the results of observations of several community practices as research objects. The results of the study explain that through the anthropology of religion approach, the background of the practices and phenomena of a community group can be objectively known which departs from the doctrine of sacred texts, especially the hadith, then creates a construction of practices that develop from generation to generation and continue to run even though the community does not know that what is practiced is actually sourced from the sacred text.
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Hallyburton, Ann, and Paromita Biswas. "Searching for the “sacred cow”: a conceptual analysis of the term in nursing literature." Journal of Documentation 74, no. 6 (2018): 1134–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jd-05-2018-0070.

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Purpose The idiom “sacred cow” is problematic due to its inaccuracy and cultural insensitivity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the term’s meaning within the nursing literature, describe connotations in religious contexts, explore subject headings applied to research using the phrase, and discuss alternative terminology. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis methodology to identify the concept “sacred cow” and surrogate terms, collect and analyze sample articles and headings, explore an exemplary case, and look for concept implications. Findings The term “sacred cow” appears frequently in the healthcare literature, particularly within the nursing literature. Its meaning within this literature pertains primarily to practices not supported by empirical evidence and performed to maintain a status quo. Headings applied to the relevant literature do not describe this concept, and more accurate headings could not be found within widely used controlled vocabularies. Research limitations/implications “Sacred cow” is an inaccurate descriptor for practices not supported by evidence as these practices do not usually apply to holiness or cattle. The term’s implied meaning comes only when viewed within a context satirizing beliefs considered as “other.” Originality/value This paper appears to be the first to methodically explore the concept of “sacred cow” within the nursing literature. The paper breaks ground in proposing solutions for the lack of applicable controlled vocabulary. By exploring these topics, it is hoped future authors use more accurate, culturally neutral terminology when discussing non-evidence-based practices and indexers increase discoverability by using more descriptive headings.
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Shashi, Chauhan Pramod Kumar Gupta. "Understanding the Perception Behind the Creation of 'Sacred Spaces' in the Profane World." THIRD VOICE REALITY AND VISION Vol No-6, Issue No-2 (2025): 88–96. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15169087.

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ABSTRACTSociologists in many ways have tried to understand religion in terms of sacred and profane as it tries to be moreinclusive than just limiting our understanding of religion to God and other supernatural elements. Sacred andprofane space in reality may present in the same place where one will take precedence over the other. The idea ofmodernization advocates for a secular outlook in terms of religious practices, belief and faith. Moreover, a spacemay become a sacred place temporarily to accommodate a sacred activity even when the profane present. Thereforein this way the sacred spaces become practicality based for life oriented outcomes. This paper explores the realityof the sacred and the profane. While taking into consideration how the people traveling in the metro create a sacredspace amid a profane.
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Kapchan, Deborah. "The Aesthetics of the Invisible: Sacred Music in Secular (French) Places." TDR/The Drama Review 57, no. 3 (2013): 132–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/dram_a_00283.

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Is listening a performance? How do “invisible” practices like Sufi Muslim sama', or sacred listening, impact the public and secular spaces of contemporary France? What do listening acts reveal about the political viability and performativity of sacred listening in a secular nation?
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Mansour, Nesrine. "The Holy Light of Cyberspace: Spiritual Experience in a Virtual Church." Religions 13, no. 2 (2022): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel13020121.

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Digital technology became a substantial component of daily life activities where people grew less dependent on the constraints of the physical world. Recent developments of new media platforms have led to important changes in religious practices, resulting in digital religion. However, there is a lack of empirical research assessing the effect on the spiritual experience. Some elements of sacred architecture, light for instance, influence the perception and experience of space. Light is a symbol of the sacred as it uplifts the worshiper’s soul and contributes to the transcendental experience. This paper proposes an analysis of a contemporary space, cyberspace, in framing the sacred experience. The focus is on light and its effect on the spiritual experience in a virtual church. The method employs an empirical approach, adapted from the social sciences scholarship, to examine the extent of the spiritual experience(s) manifested by the participants as emotional responses to the sacred space. The findings highlight people’s experiences of the cyber-sacred space and offer insights into the design of those spaces. This spiritual event could be considered a spiritual appreciation of architectural elements translated as subjective emotional responses to virtual sacred architecture. Such study bridges the research of architecture and social sciences in creating a platform for the empirical exploration of virtual ‘built’ environments. It provides a quantitative approach to a phenomenological concept of digital religion and the future of spiritual practices related to virtual sacred architecture. The importance of the study lies on the designed methodology to assess the effect of light on the spiritual experience in virtual sacred architecture.
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Al-Qobbaj, Amer A., David J. (Sandy) Marshall, and Loay M. Abu Alsaud. "Sacred Monuments and Stone Circles in Palestine: A Historical, Ethnographic and Mythological Inquiry." Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies 22, no. 2 (2023): 229–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/hlps.2023.0316.

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Sacred stone veneration is a global mythical phenomenon historically practiced by many groups, including ancient Semitic-speaking peoples. In their physical capacity, sacred stones themselves are not the object of worship or veneration. Their sanctity comes from the divine spirit believed to dwell within them. The common denominator among the mythological traditions of sacred stones veneration is the belief that they possess enormous spiritual powers that enable them to act as mediators between the worshipper and the gods. Stones were employed as tools in the rituals of veneration in many types of sanctuaries, such as stone circles. This study highlights this type of religious folklore in Palestine, representing one of the bridges linking the Palestinian present to its distant Canaanite past. It traces the various patterns of sacred stones in the central region of Palestine, the rituals that were practised using them, and the remnants of these practices found in oral folklore traditions. To these ends, the researchers relied on religious and historical primary and secondary sources, including oral interviews where available and possible.
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Muthu, Santhoshkumar, Sivasankar Murugesh, and Aravindhan Veerasamy. "Sacred Trees in Hindu Temples of Theni District, Tamil Nadu: A Perspective of Ethnomedicinal uses and Conservation Study." Bulletin of Scientific Research 6, no. 1 (2024): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.54392/bsr2411.

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Tamil Nadu reflects the rich heritage of Hindu temples and historical sites with a long legacy. People worship and revere trees in every temple with most devotion. The Reverence to the trees in temples is practiced across the world and is well established from pre-historic periods in India (Bharat). Sthala-vriksha (Sacred Tree) is the tree which is significant and unique in most of the temples in India. In the present study, ethnomedicinal survey of sacred trees was carried out in the Theni District of Tamil Nadu with the support of a standardized questionnaire. No detailed study has been conducted on sacred tree practices and its role in Theni district. Therefore, Ethnomedicinal uses and other related information about sacred trees occurring in the 18 temples of Theni district have been documented in the present study in the year 2023. The result has revealed the occurrence of 13 plant species in the 18 temples. Most of the temples are maintained by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department of Tamil Nadu Government while very few are maintained by local villagers. Aegle marmelos (L.) was the most frequently recorded sacred tree (n=5) in the present study. Species were accurately identified and authenticated, and specimens were preserved for further use. The study suggests certain recommendations for protecting the sacred trees maintained in the temples.
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Chemelil, Philip, Babere Kerata Chacha, and Peter Waweru. "Sacred Ecology of an African Landscape: Evidence from the Mau Forest Complex, 1600-1895." International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation X, no. XII (2024): 621–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.51244/ijrsi.2023.1012047.

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The study is a historical examination of the spiritual dimensions and sacredness of the Mau forests; the nature of engagements and benefits obtained from sacred forests; governance practices and dynamics aspects of sacred forests; and the implications of dynamics on human-ecology interaction sustainability among the Ogiek. The study equally portrays the effects of human intrusions on the state of sacred forests and their provisions. Before the advent of colonialism, communities in and around the Mau Forest had elaborate traditional systems of forest land utilization. Indigenous religious beliefs and practices served to maintain a harmonious relationship with the natural environment. Thus, this paper offers an in- depth historical study of how religion was used to conserve the Mau Forest, arguing that present-day ecological challenges are best solved when one first understands the underlying historical topography, and when strategies based on modern practices are modified by blending them with indigenous practices. In doing so, I propose a model of political ecology that considers cultural, social and religious change dimensions of African history.
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Parciack, Ronie. "Hierarchy into Heterarchy." Numen 69, no. 2-3 (2022): 236–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685276-12341654.

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Abstract This article addresses the heterarchical dynamism generated by the reorganization of sacred geographies in India and the Arabian Peninsula through contemporary iconographies and religious practices. The cities at the top of the orthodox Islamic/Arab sacred, authoritative hierarchy have lost their status in the current Indian context both concretely and symbolically, and have become equated, embedded, or subordinated to the Indian space. This dynamism is unfolding primarily in Indian vernacular spaces: in the material culture and audiovisual media produced and sold in Islamic bazaars in proximity to Sufi shrines; and in public religious practices that are reshuffling the sacred spaces of both India and the Hijaz, manifesting a polyphonic, at times rhizomatic fabric corresponding to social theorist Kyriakos Kontopoulos’s definition of a heterarchy.
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Phatthanaphraiwan, Suwichan, Lilly Zeitler, and Benjamin Fairfield. "The Pagoda of the Gods: A case for Indigenous Karen sacred sites as Special Cultural Zones along Thailand’s borders." Forest and Society 6, no. 2 (2022): 675–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.24259/fs.v6i2.20962.

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Burgeoning recognition of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and livelihood practices have led to ‘Special Cultural Zone’ designations for some traditionally Indigenous lands in Thailand. Simultaneously, the Thai government has designated 10 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to bolster trade and investments along its borders without acknowledging the pre-existence of Indigenous peoples. SEZs intersect with sites of notable cultural significance, such as Kho Pho Lu (Pagoda of the Gods), a sacred site for Indigenous Karen near Mae Sot in Tak province. Detailed ethnographic and interview findings show the resilience of these sacred sites and embedded ritualistic place-making practices that persist despite a legacy of Indigenous displacement. Ethnobotanical findings of 39 sampled taxa in the sacred forest of Kho Pho Lu indicate that cultural and spiritual practices support local biodiversity conservation. Potential biocultural conservation approaches include the adoption of ‘Special Cultural Zones’ to promote Indigenous well-being and the preservation of biocultural diversity in Thailand.
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Ustyantsev, German Yu, Diana Yu Efremova, and Tamara L. Serebrennikova. "Sacred Spaces of the Mari Culture. Signs and Typologization of the Mythologized Landscape." Finno-Ugric world 16, no. 4 (2024): 471–83. https://doi.org/10.15507/2076-2577.016.2024.04.471-483.

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Introduction. Amid growing interest from the public and researchers in the pre-Christian, nature-centered beliefs of the peoples of the Volga region, issues related to the perception of natural landscapes and their use in ritual practices have gained renewed relevance. The study aims to propose key factors for the qualitative description of the sacred landscape of contemporary Mari communities: the degree of development, the orderliness of the locus, its mythological image, and its role in ritual practices. Based on these factors, the authors present their own typology of sacred toposes within Mari culture. Materials and Methods. The article is based on the field materials of the Department of Ethnology (the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University) in 1995, 2021-2023 and the Complex Expedition of the National Museum (the Republic of Mari El named after T. Evseev). The geography of research covers Mari El, Bashkortostan, and the Kirov region. The main methods are the collection of texts about the landscapes (folklore texts, interviews) and their narratological analysis, visual fixation of monuments. Results and Discussion. As criteria for describing spaces the authors analyze their physical characteristics, the image in folklore, the practices and mythological characters associated with them, and the degree of anthropogenic influence. The ambivalent properties of sacred landscapes and the process of creating new sacred toposes are revealed in the article. The internal organization of sacred groves and their role in the religious life of local communities are described in detail. The authors identify five categories of spaces: sacred groves; unorganized sacred loci; symbolic burial sites of the Mari heroes; “bad places”; active and abandoned burial sites. At the same time, the researchers note the variability of natural landscape objects and the possibility of combining features of different types in one monument. Conclusion. The conclusions made by the authors contribute to the development of ethnological research of Mari religious practices and mythological representations. The materials of the article can be useful in describing and systematizing the landscapes of traditional culture, in studying the interaction of people and nature within the framework of ritual actions.
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Manna, Saikat, and Anirban Roy. "Indian sacred groves: Floristic diversity, Ecology and conservation." International Journal of Chemical and Environmental Sciences 3, no. 1 (2021): 32–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.15864/268963821834540209.

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Practice of conservation of biological diversity in India had been carried out since dates back and sacred groves, the socially protected forest patches, are such classic evidence. Since pre-Vedic period, India has its legacy of harbouring numerous sacred groves almost in every part ofthe country especially in the Western Ghats , and North-East Himalayan region. These small fragmented forest patches are well known especially for sustaining rich biological heritage, entailing ecological history of the region and being a local biodiversity hotspot through in-situ conservation of both floral and faunal components especially the rare and endemic ones. Sacred groves also represent ideal community organization for functioning of many ecological processes providing valuable ecosystem services like soil and water conservation, nutrient cycling and many more. Tn India, various systems of traditional conservation practices have been reported as the country is known for its socio-cultural diversity. In the past few decades, the existence of sacred groves is being challenged through serious lhrcals like cncroachment, loss of belief in taboos and many modern developmental practices. It is the need of hour to protect these ecological heritage by adopting integrated sustainable management practices through communlity involvement and convergence of various schemes of different sectors.
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Gusenova, Djamilya Adamkadievna. "«Women's Practices» in Non-Canonical Pilgrimage in Islam." Islamovedenie 12, no. 2 (2021): 71–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.21779/2077-8155-2021-12-2-71-83.

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Analysis of some «women's practices» in non-canonical pilgrimage in Islam revealed that the specification of these pilgrimage practices follows from such factors as the status and role position of a woman in society, her main functions in the family and community, as well as her psychoemo-tional nature. There is a tendency on the part of women to assign to sacred natural objects a super-natural character and to endow them with magical power. This can be clearly seen both at the level of systematization and theoretical analysis of similar studies, and after considering the results of the author’s small electronic sociological survey. 54,5 % of respondents believe to some extent that sa-cred objects indicated in the survey possess supernatural powers. The same surveys revealed syncre-tism between pagan objects of religious worship and Islamic attributes of the religious life of Dage-stanis. At the same time, the perception of some natural objects as sacred ones differs in the regions of the republic.
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Sabbath, Roberta. "Sacred Other." American Journal of Islam and Society 23, no. 2 (2006): 140–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.35632/ajis.v23i2.1637.

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The American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA) conference,held on 23-26 March 2006 at Princeton University, featured over 120 panels,each with about three presenters. The theme of the conference, “The Humanand Its Other,” inspired a broad spectrum of imaginative considerations ofthis fascinating topic. The field of comparative literature specializes in interdisciplinarywork that crosses the boundaries of language, nationality, culture,historical period, and religion by examining the common groundshared by creative works.The conference doubled its size of previous years to 1,200 participantsfrom around the world. This year it included a reading by Joyce Carol Oates,a conversation with Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison, a performance bythe American Ballet Theater dancers, and a talk on human rights by notedpostcolonial theorist Gayatri Spivak. The ACLAconference uses a two- andthree-panel series format to structure panels, thereby allowing panelists ineach series to dialogue over a two- or three-day period.One of the three-panel series, “Sacred Other: Boundaries and Pores inthe Tanakh, New Testament, and Qur’an as Literary Works,” focused on thethree sacred texts as literary works. Chaired by Roberta Sabbath (Universityof Nevada, Las Vegas), the panel topic continued her three-year project ofchairing similar panels at major literary conferences in the United States.The topic enables a dialogue between scholars primarily from the fields ofliterary and religious studies. A variety of literary theoretical lenses enlistedby participants enriched the understanding of the sacred texts themselvesand their vast influence on cultural production.Panelists stretched the word otherness to include a variety of meanings.The survey of topics below reflects the depth of the conversation. While religious,social, and cultural institutional practices encourage thinking aboutthe many levels of human experience in terms of an inclusive/exclusive sensibility,these panelists made no such distinction. While labels define individualsin society, papers in this panel series fractured stereotypical thinking.While labels also limit the understanding of the human experience of spirituality,alienation, emotion, influence, and community, these panelistsexploded the myth that any of these human experiences adhered to boundariesor limitations. On the contrary, the porous nature of life at the material ...
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Nikolova, Antoaneta. "Sacred Places in Buddhism or the Place of the Sacred in Buddhism." RAPHISA REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE SACRUM Vol 1, No 2 (Decembre, 2017): Imago Templi (2017): 67–79. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1209440.

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The paper aims to examine the meaning of sacredness in such a religion as Buddhism where there is no idea of God or any supernatural being. Instead, there are elaborated inner practices for achieving enlightenment. The paper consists of two parts. The first one analyses the place of the sacred in Buddhism considering the two important concepts of <em>samsara </em>and <em>nirvana</em>. The second part discusses sacred places in Buddhism comparing two different space structures: stupa as representative for a vertical structure and mandala for a horizontal one. On the base of juxtaposing these seemingly opposite concepts and structures the paper reveals that in terms of Bud&shy;dhism the real sacredness is non-sacredness: a term that transcends the opposition sacred-profane and expresses the specific Buddhist vision of non-duality.
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Barnes, Liberty. "Holiday Gifting at a Children’s Hospital: Sacred Ritual, Sacred Space." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 48, no. 5 (2018): 591–618. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891241618820110.

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Every Christmas season children’s hospitals in the United States are flooded with gift donations. Businesses, service organizations, and the public deliver carloads of new toys, puzzles, games, books, electronics, sports equipment, art supplies, cosmetics, blankets, and clothing for sick children. The practice is so common and widespread that donors rarely ask whether they may donate, what types of donations are welcome, and when and where they should deliver their donations. Based on ethnographic observations of holiday gifting at University Children’s Hospital, a nationally ranked pediatric hospital on the West Coast, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the implicit cultural beliefs that guide holiday gifting practices. Eschewing the popular rhetoric of American hyper-consumption and hedonism, I use a Durkheimian framework to argue that holiday gifting in children’s hospital is a sacred ritual. The data presented describe the wide-ranging variety of donors—from Boy Scouts to nightclub strippers—who journey to the hospital bearing gifts. Drawing on sacred conceptualizations of childhood and gifting in American culture, I argue that children’s hospitals are more than medico-scientific institutions. They represent sacred unifying spaces and the heart of their local communities where individuals and organizations come to privately and publicly reaffirm their moral commitments to society through holiday gifting.
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Kharyuchi, Galina. "Sacred Places in the Nenets Traditional Culture." Sibirica 17, no. 3 (2018): 116–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/sib.2018.170310.

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The Nenets people have various forms of worshipping spirits in their sacred landscapes. The article examines the history, definitions, and classifications of forms of worship of the Nenets sacred places (khebidia ia). Cult structures (khekhe) include objects of nature as well as effigies of various deities installed at sacred sites or residential areas. Images of a master spirit carved in stone or wood (siadei) mark tribal or general significant sites of worship. The main activities carried out on these sacred sites relate to seasonal rituals of the life cycle and to subsistence practices such as fishing and hunting. The most important of them were sacrificial rituals.
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Kusmayani, Anisa Eka Putri, and Tuti Elfrida. "Reflexive Fieldwork Practices in a Sacred Context: Researching the Baduy Religious Landscape." FOCUS 6, no. 1 (2025): 111–24. https://doi.org/10.26593/focus.v6i1.9307.

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The growing academic interest in Indigenous communities has led to a surge of studies on the Baduy people in Indonesia. However, many of these studies have been criticized for relying on Western paradigms that misalign with the Baduy’s cosmological, ethical, and relational worldview. This research aims to critically re-examine fieldwork practices in the sacred Baduy context by adopting a decolonial and relational approach that foregrounds methodological sensitivity and epistemic justice. Employing an autoethnographic method, the author reflects on personal experiences conducting collaborative fieldwork with the Baduy community. The study highlights essential elements of Baduy lifeways—including pikukuh, buyut, and principles of asceticism—alongside formal and informal rules that shape engagements with outsiders. The findings underscore the necessity of conducting research that is reflexive and respectful, rooted in the Baduy’s spiritual-relational epistemology. The discussion calls for a rearticulation of research ethics within sacred and Indigenous settings and advocates for pluriversality as a framework to honor diverse ontologies and knowledge systems. This study offers an original contribution by centering Indigenous epistemologies in research methodology and advancing a collaborative model for ethical engagement in sacred landscapes.
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Pritchard, Andrew. "The Power of Images to Change Ritual Meanings." Journal of Communication and Religion 36, no. 2 (2013): 151–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/jcr201336214.

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Applying ritual theory to practices surrounding sacred images in sixteenth-century European Christianity illustrates an underappreciated power of visual means for constituting and communicating religious belief systems. In addition to constructing belief systems for religious practitioners and enabling expressions of devotion, sacred images facilitate and sometimes dictate changes in religious belief systems. Understanding the promotion of change in religious belief as a distinct, unique power of sacred images is valuable in a religious environment characterized by change through pluralism, conversion, and the spread of religions through media.
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Sinthumule, Ndidzulafhi Innocent, Thendo Mugwena, and Mulalo Rabumbulu. "The Conflict between Preserving a ‘Sacred Natural Site’ and Exploiting Nature for Commercial Gain: Evidence from Phiphidi Waterfall in South Africa." Sustainability 13, no. 18 (2021): 10476. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su131810476.

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Over the years, the Phiphidi sacred natural site has been protected by traditional methods or cultural codes. However, over the past three decades, anthropogenic pressures have affected the site. This study aimed to investigate the historical uses of the Phiphidi sacred natural site and contemporary anthropogenic threats to the area, and the implications on the sustainability of the area. The data supporting this study were collected between June 2018 and May 2021, during which (i) interviews, (ii) observations and (iii) documents were used as the main techniques of data collection. Non-probabilistic purposive (also known as judgemental) sampling was used to select respondents including the custodians of the Phiphidi sacred natural site, officials working at Phiphidi Waterfall, representatives of the Dzomo La Mupo committee and local communities. The data obtained from interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. Field observations helped in validating the data that were collected through interviews. The study showed that although the sacred site was historically a ‘no go area’ and was used to connect with ancestors and perform rituals, contemporary anthropogenic threats affecting the Phiphidi sacred site include weak property right systems and tourism infrastructure development that has led to land-use conflicts that have been driven by vested interests. The contemporary practices not only undermine the Vhavenda culture but also have negative implications for the biodiversity of the area. In addition, the current practices undermine the founding principles of the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa; these embrace culture, religion and the country’s environmental laws. While passion to save the sacred sites by custodians and local communities is still alive, government support is weak and, as a result, there are fears that other sacred sites in the region may also be targeted for tourism purposes. Several suggestions are made that, if implemented, could help to protect the remaining sacred natural sites.
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Iagafova, Ekaterina, and Valeriia Bondareva. "Chuvash Village Sacred Spaces in the Samara Trans-Volga Region." Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics 16, no. 2 (2022): 160–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/jef-2022-0017.

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Abstract The article* examines the sacred landscape in the space of Chuvash villages in the Samara Trans-Volga region. A sacred space is understood as a territory that, from the point of view of local people, has special properties and performs certain functions in their spiritual practices. Among the Samara Chuvash, represented in the majority by Orthodox communities, in the minority by pagans and Muslims, there are sites of various confessional origins as well as varying degrees of functionality and relevance in modern ritual practice from a actively used to completely forgotten. The article describes various types of sacred objects1 found in Chuvash villages in the Samara Trans-Volga region in the context of relevant religious practices, showing the attitude of the villagers to sacred sites and their significance in the formation of the religiosity of the Chuvash population in the region. The purpose of the research is to identify the principles of the sacralisation of space, its semantic characteristics, and the specificity and purpose of sacred sites. The object of study is cult sites associated with the natural-geographical environment and formed in close relationship with it (for example places of prayers and pilgrimage), as well as those arising in the course of human activities to create man-made sacred-spatial environments. The study showed that sacred sites make up an integral part of the religious space in Chuvash villages in the Samara Trans-Volga region, and set its spatial coordinates. These objects reflect both general ethnic traditions and local-historical plots associated with a specific area and its people. The formation of the sacred landscape took place with the development of new land, in the course of which a traditional model of the microcosm of the Chuvash peasant was created. The research is based on the archival, published and field material of the authors.
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Daniels, Denise, John Godek, Randal S. Franz, Vicki Eveland, and Rachel Anderson. "Family Supportive Practices in the Sacred Sector: A Study of Motives, Practices, and Barriers." Academy of Management Proceedings 2019, no. 1 (2019): 15702. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2019.15702abstract.

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41

Sen, Uday Kumar. "Sacred groves: a traditional way of conserving plant diversity in West Midnapore District, West Bengal, India." Journal of Threatened Taxa 11, no. 3 (2019): 13350–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.4310.11.3.13350-13359.

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Sacred groves are forest patches conserved by the local people interwined with their socio-cultural and religious practices. An extricable link between the past and present society in terms of religion, socio-culture, heritage and biodiversity exists in the sacred groves. It is distributed globally where ethnic indigenous communities live. Several animals and plants that are threatened in forests are still abundant and well conserved in such sacred groves. The taboos, religious belief and sacredness play a significant role in promoting sustainable utilization and conservation. In this regard, the study of a sacred grove in the district of West Midnapore in West Bengal highlighting the tradition may provide a powerful tool for ensuring biodiversity conservation through community participation.
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42

Nasser, Nevine. "Beyond the Veil of Form: Developing a Transformative Approach toward Islamic Sacred Architecture through Designing a Contemporary Sufi Centre." Religions 13, no. 3 (2022): 190. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel13030190.

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By examining the relationship between sacred space and spiritual experience through practice-as-research, a methodology for reclaiming the wisdom embodied by transformative examples of classic Islamic sacred architecture in the design of a contemporary Sufi Centre in London, UK, is developed. The metaphysical and ontological roots of universal design principles and practices are explored in order to transcend mimetic processes and notions of typology, location, time, style and scale in the creation of context-sensitive meanings and manifestations. An ontological hermeneutic approach was followed that utilises mixed methods underpinned by direct engagement, collaboration and a willingness to examine personal transcendent experiences and spiritual practices. By conducting practice, the effects of prioritising unseen dimensions (bātin), which enfold visible dimensions (zāhir), on understanding and designing Islamic sacred space are examined. The role of the imaginal realm, the imagination (khayāl), the spiritual heart (qalb) and spiritual inter-pretation (ta’wīl) are explored. Through a contemplative process, forms are perceived as conduits between the physical and spiritual realms and space as a symbol of presence (wujūd). Seen and unseen (zāhir wa bātin) converge into one continuum, potentiating an experience of Oneness (Tawhīd). A transformative approach to practice emerges that integrates a designers’ creative and spiritual practices, cultivates the capacity for transformation and helps to mitigate some of the challenges faced when designing sacred spaces in conventional settings today.
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Lucia, Amanda. "Making Sacred Space." Journal of Festive Studies 5 (November 13, 2023): 110–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.33823/jfs.2023.5.1.114.

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This article presents data gleaned from ethnographic research in transformative events, with particular attention to those that incorporate yoga practice as an important educational site for the inscription and dissemination of “spiritual” values and as a pivotal site for testimonials of spiritual “transformation.” It draws from nearly a decade of research and practice in yoga environments in a wide variety of transformative events, including Bhakti and Shakti Fests (held in the high desert of Joshua Tree in Southern California), Wanderlust yoga festivals (global festivals in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and multiple regions of the United States), Lightning in a Bottle (held in central California), and Burning Man (held in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada). This research focuses particularly on the innovative ways that practitioners materialize and ritualize sacred spaces that represent their eclectic and personalized spiritual understandings and beliefs. In their imagined transition from institutional religion to transformational spirituality, yogic practitioners seek to develop alternative forms of devotional materiality that reflect and express their new metaphysical values. In creating sacred space in festivals—through building altars and spaces for spiritual and yogic practices (including the ubiquitous yoga mat)—practitioners use material culture agentively to re-enchant what many believe to be a disenchanted world. These efforts to re-enchant the self and its surroundings can be understood as an impulse to create counter-modernities that challenge the current order of things by simultaneously returning to ancient wisdom and envisioning new futures.
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Lamothe, Ryan. "Sacred Objects as Vital Objects: Transitional Objects Reconsidered." Journal of Psychology and Theology 26, no. 2 (1998): 159–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009164719802600202.

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In this essay I argue that the concept of transitional objects in Winnicott's psychoanalytic developmental theory and Rizzuto's perspective regarding God representations in human life, though helpful, is inadequate for understanding and explaining the complex roles, functions, and characteristics of sacred objects and practices in adult life. Transitional objects of infancy and early childhood, which represent a movement from merger to shared existence, from primary process to secondary process thinking, from fantasy to reality, are idiosyncratic and are substantially different from the sacred objects many adults share. I argue that an expanded depiction of Winnicott's concept, transitional object, provides an understanding of the vital role or functions of sacred objects in everyday existence and in interpersonal relations. I suggest that sacred objects and practices in adult life may be conceptualized as vital objects or phenomena when they (a) furnish believers with an unconscious belief in omnipotence for the sake of the construction and organization of subjective and intersubjective experiences and reality; (b) provide a subjective and intersubjective sense of identity, continuity, and cohesion; (e) serve as opportunities for spontaneity and creativity; (d) supply comfort and security for persons and communities during periods of anxiety.
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Horujy, S. S. "Functions and Forms of Verbality in Spiritual Practices and Practices Related to Them." Консультативная психология и психотерапия 22, no. 5 (2014): 59–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2014220503.

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Functions and forms, in which the verb is used in spiritual practices and practices related closely to them are analyzed systematically. The following classes of prac¬tices are considered: 1) Eastern-Orthodox hesychasm, 2) Hellenistic practices of the Self (practices of the Roman Stoicism, Cynism and Epicureanism) as they are interpreted by Michel Foucault, 3) Far-Eastern practices as they are represented in Zen-Buddhism. The problem of the sacred word in spiritual practice is discussed. A number of comparative observations and conclusions are obtained concerning, in particular, "hot" and "cool" practices and corresponding kinds of verbality, typolog¬ical distinctions of verbality in Eastern and Western anthropological practices, etc.
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Brown Vega, Margaret. "Ritual practices and wrapped objects: Unpacking prehispanic Andean sacred bundles." Journal of Material Culture 21, no. 2 (2015): 223–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359183515610135.

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Rawls, Anne W., Adam Jeffery, and David Mann. "Locating the modern sacred: Moral/social facts and constitutive practices." Journal of Classical Sociology 16, no. 1 (2013): 53–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468795x13497137.

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48

Paterson, Robert K. "Collecting “Tribal Art”—Sacred or Secular?" International Journal of Cultural Property 21, no. 3 (2014): 305–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0940739114000150.

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Abstract:This article explores the history of collecting and dealing in non-Western cultural objects—primarily from the Pacific Islands—from the earliest explorers to the modern auction houses. It considers international and domestic laws relating to indigenous cultural material that might be seen as religious or sacred in character and concludes that while these rules clearly influence both private and institutional practices they fall short of legally impacting the functioning of otherwise lawful markets.
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Ôkawa, Eiji. "Land and Soil in the Religious Culture of Kôyasan in Medieval and Early Modern Japan." International Journal of Public and Private Perspectives on Healthcare, Culture, and the Environment 1, no. 1 (2017): 36–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijppphce.2017010103.

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In traditional worldviews, the natural environment was replete with sacred powers. With a holistic worldview, people interacted with nature and sacred manifestations through ritual practices, and organized their lives in spaces suffused with supranormal beings. Nowhere is this more evident than in the religious cultures that developed at sacred mountains. Yet due partly to the sway of the normative analytical model that privileges doctrinal and ideological dimensions of religious phenomena, little attempt has been made to explore the rich relationships between nature and the sacred in the religious cultures of sacred mountains. By examining legendary narratives, rituals, and the landscape of Kôyasan Buddhist monastery in Japan, the paper investigates how elements of nature, in particular land and soil, were infused with symbolic meanings, and played vital roles in the production of a local political space and trans-local religious culture in medieval and early modern periods.
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Nelson, Ben A., J. Andrew Darling, and David A. Kice. "Mortuary Practices and the Social Order at La Quemada, Zacatecas, Mexico." Latin American Antiquity 3, no. 4 (1992): 298–315. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/971951.

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Epiclassic occupants of the site of La Quemada left the disarticulated remains of 11-14 humans in an apparently sacred structure outside the monumental core of the site. Several lines of evidence are reviewed to generate propositions about the ritual meanings and functions of the bones. A comparative analysis reveals the complexity of mortuary practices in northern and western Mexico, and permits the suggestion that these particular remains were those of revered ancestors or community members. The sacred structure is seen as a charnel house, in which the more ancient tradition of ancestor worship expressed in shaft tombs was essentially perpetuated above ground. Hostile social relations are clearly suggested, however, by other categories of bone deposits. Recognition of the rich variability of mortuary displays leads to questions about their role in the maintenance of the social order.
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