God's Place in the World: Sacred Space and Sacred Place in Judaism (Cassell theological studies) Book

The concept of sacred places, although found in all religions, is expressed differently in different traditions and this book examines models of sacred space in Judaism from an anthropological structuralist perspective. It discusses the development of these models in relation to historical and cultural transformation. The first section of the book analyzes sacred space as it is presented in Biblical and rabbinic texts, focusing on the transformation of centralized sacred space. The second section develops an ethnographic analysis of Jewish sacred space as understood by Jews today. It examines the structure of the synagogue in both Orthodox and non-Orthodox communities and the way in which these communities use sacred space. It also discusses the role of the State of Israel as a new centre of secular and religious Jewish sacred space, and as a return to a centralized model. The final section examines the anthropological and theological implications of the models of sacred space and presents an approach to understanding the processes and mechanisms of transformation.Read More