Sacred and profane in Mircea Eliade’s theory — Alexis karpouzos

In Mircea Eliade’s thought, religion is seen as a universal and fundamental aspect of human existence, characterized by the experience of the sacred and the profane. Eliade believed that religion originates from an irreducible experience of the sacred, which is common to most human beings. This experience seeks outward cultural expression in myths and rituals. He emphasized that religious phenomena must be understood as uniquely and irreducibly religious, expressing meaning on a religious plane of reference.

Eliade’s understanding of religion includes the idea that religiousness and creativity are major human attributes that produce myths, rites, images, and symbols — collectively referred to as “religious creations” — that convey human experiences and carry worlds of meaning. His work suggests that without some experience of the sacred, profane existence is seen as meaningless, and he identified this basic schema in all religions. Overall, Eliade’s view of religion is deeply intertwined with his concept of the sacred, and he saw religion as a key to understanding the human condition and the search for meaning.

In Mircea Eliade’s thought, the concept of “the sacred” is central to understanding religion and spirituality. Eliade proposes that the sacred is a divine creative force experienced through hierophanies…