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Discuss the view that sacred space is frequently organised from the 'outside in' to control access to the different areas it encompasses.In many of the world's religions we can see a hierarchical tier of sacredness within their holy sites. Furthest 'out' in the hierarchy, and the least sacred, is 'the world'. As we work our way 'in' within the hierarchy, we see ever increasing levels of sacredness, and ever more stringent restrictions on access thereto. This hierarchy "often serves to exclude progressively larger groups as one proceeds from outer to inner" [SG p16]. A typical example is within a temple. The temple is considered sacred compared to the profane outside world. Within the temple there will commonly be a sanctuary area (an ark, or alter, or closed room perhaps), housing a sacred item of some description (a holy book, or a religious relic). This is the most sacred part of the sacred space. Access to the temple may be restricted to members of the faith, or there may be rules to follow or rituals to perform. Access to the inner sanctuary is often further restricted, perhaps to members of the priesthood. We can see a simple example of this 'temple', 'sanctuary', 'item' arrangement in a Sikh Gurdwara. The Gurdwara is regarded as the dwelling place of the Guru Granth Sahib - the holy book, which is regarded as a living guru. This is our 'item'. It is the presence of the Guru Granth that confers sacredness, so the room in which the book is contained is considered most sacred, and it is here that visitors must cover their heads and remove footwear. This is our 'sanctuary'. In the remainder of the Gurdwara (our 'temple'), one must simply be free of the influence of intoxicants. (Interestingly, these restrictions also hold in a bookshop [SP p170].) Sometimes the land surrounding the temple may be considered sacred, thus adding another tier. Examples of this four-tiered 'surroundings', 'temple', 'sanctuary', 'item' hierarchy can be seen in the case of sacred cities, such as Mecca. Mecca is our sacred 'suroundings', to which access is restricted to Muslims. At the time of the Hajj, there is a strict dress code too [u5-6, 6.2.2]. The Great Mosque is our 'temple' and houses the Ka'bah (our 'sanctuary') which contains the Black Stone (our 'item'). The Ka'bah is traditionally guarded and maintained by the Quaraysh tribe who, while not a priesthood, in this instance have similar duties [SP p94]. Within Judaism, a fifth tier is added. Not only do we now have the holy city of Jerusalem, but also we have the idea of the Holy Land of Israel. This is a Jewish land under Jewish law, the return to which was considered in the same light as the coming of the messiah (a belief that has caused some friction with the creation of the modern State of Israel) [u1-2, 4.4]. If we look back to 'classical' Judaism, when the Temple was standing, we can add still more tiers to the sacred hierarchy. The Temple Mount was considered a holy site within Jerusalem, and the Temple itself was more holy still. Within the Temple was the Sanctuary, within which was the most sacred and restricted place of all: the Holy of Holies. This area was so sacred that "none may enter therein save only the High Priest on the Day of Atonement" [Kelin, quoted in SP p116]. A similar model is reflected in the Hebrew camp as described in the Torah. The camp was more holy than the world, and was the home of the Hebrews (analogous to Israel). Within the camp was the enclave, which contained the meeting tent (comparable to the Temple), within which was the Ark of the Covenant, access to which was again restricted to the high priest [SP p118]. Trace even further back to the mythological Garden of Eden, and even there we see a hierarchy of sacredness. The garden is more holy than the world, and the centre, which contained the Trees of Life and of Knowledge, was the holiest spot in the garden. Here the restriction is absolute, and not even Adam and Eve are permitted to touch the trees. The Garden itself is restricted to the pure, and those who sin are expelled from it [Genesis ch2-4; also SP p125]. In modern Judaism there is no Temple and no priesthood. However, we still see a tiered hierarchy of 'temple', 'sanctuary', and 'sacred item' in the form of the synagogue, the ark, and the scrolls of the torah. Drawing out from the ark, we can see more layers. Closest is the bimah (reading desk) from which the rabbi conducts the proceedings. After this is the male seating, and furthest (often in a gallery section) is the female seating [SP p134, also handout]. Services are conducted within a sanctuary room, which is more holy than the synagogue as a whole. However, restrictions are not entirely inflexible. As there is no priesthood as such, the service can be conducted by anyone deemed sufficiently knowledgeable. In Progressive Judaism, the divide between male and female seating is also generally dropped [SP pp136-139]. Interestingly though, Progressive Judaism tends to display "an emphasis on the priestly functions of the rabbi" [SP p136], making it comparable if not to Temple Judaism, then certainly (and perhaps ironically) to Orthodox Christianity [SG p19; also SP p138]. In Greek Orthodox churches, there is a sanctuary room where sacred items are kept, such as a book of the gospels, or a relic of a saint, and where only the priests are permitted. It is here, behind a screen hung with icons (an iconostasis) that much of the ritual activity is performed. "Orthodox faithful do not see much of the ritual, which goes on beyond the iconostasis" [u3-4, 4.2.3]. The whole focus of a ritual may be the ceremonial bringing out of a sacred relic so that the lay people are permitted to see and touch an item so sacred they are normally kept from it. "The liturgy proper begins ... with the procession of the book of the gospels" [VC2, also SG p24]. While the service is conducted, the deacon takes up position between the lay people and the door of the sanctuary. Ostensibly he is positioned there "to be a spokesman for their prayers" [VC2], but his role resembles that of a sentry, guarding and restricting access to the sacred area. Here we can compare back to Progressive Judaism, where the rabbi's bimah is raised like a stage and placed between the congregation and the ark "thereby reducing general access to sacred space" [SP p136]. "Thus in some sense he/she is leading rather than praying with the congregation" [SP p138]. Another large part of the Christian ritual is conducted from the altar. This is contained behind the iconostasis in the case of the Orthodoxy, but even in other sects the lay people are not permitted to approach unless - as in the case of the communion - the priest grants them access [SG p24]. The Christian church as a whole is a sacred place, often referred to as a "House of God" (compare to Gurdwaras as the dwelling of the Guru), distinct from the profane world outside. Amongst the Mormon sect however, this separation is taken a step further. Access to a Mormon temple is strictly forbidden to those outside of the sect. The Temples are considered not only above the world, but also in some way outside of the constraints of time. Thus rituals conducted therein are considered valid for all eternity, past and future [SP pp58-59]. Hinduism has no centralised authority, but it does have a hereditary priest class - the brahman - and uncharacteristically well-defined rules for the architecture of temples [SP p78], so we can perhaps expect to see a similar hierarchical arrangement of sacred space. This arrangement is indeed visible, especially if we focus primarily on the large, prominent temples at major centres of pilgrimage. A site is usually deemed worthy of pilgrimage long before a temple is built. It will be a prominent natural feature (a cave, mountain, river or suchlike), or a site of religious significance. The temple is built later to enhance or capitalise on the status of the site [SG p36]. Until recent government legislation, access to the temple was commonly restricted to those of the higher castes [SG p39]. As a result, we immediately see a hierarchy of 'surroundings' and 'temple'. If the model holds true, we would expect an inner sanctuary controlled by the priesthood, containing a sacred item. The sanctuary is called the garbhagriha, or womb-chamber [AC1]. In it is contained the specially crafted image that is to be the temporary earthly abode of the chosen deity. Notice again the idea of a house of god. Terms used to mean temple include devagrha (god-house) and mandira (dwelling) [AC1; also SP pp77-78 and SG p37]. The womb chamber, as its name implies, is small and dark, so we have an additional layer of entirely physical restrictions to consider. "its effect of filtering those who may enter a small confined area" [SG p35]. No natural light must enter the chamber, so there are no windows, and only a single doorway [SP p76]. Thus only a very few people at a time can gain access to the deity within, and this is normally restricted to the brahman priests who tend to the daily rituals, and "accept offerings from the worshippers on behalf of the deity" [SG p39]. In front of the inner chamber is a porch area (mandapa). This is where the worshippers congregate. However, before they get to this level in the hierarchy they go through a number of intervening tiers of sacredness. From the surrounding site they approach the temple. Before entry, some minor rite is usually customary such as circling the temple [SP p80] or sounding a bell [VC4]. A good example of a temple requiring circumnavigation is the temple of Ramesvaram, where "one has to walk through a series of enclosures which become increasingly sacred as the sanctuary is approached" [SP p80]. Many temples are protected, both physically with high fortress-like walls which "emphasise their sanctity and ensure their security" [SP p82], and spiritually, with images housing lesser deities that act as sentries and guardians. It is only after completing the rites and negotiating these securities that worshippers are able to enter the temple. So we can see that even in highly diverse cultures and religions, there is a common theme of an 'outside in' model of sacred space. More than this, we can see close parallels in each tier of the model, with common parts such as the temple and the sanctuary. Finally we see that with increasing sacredness come increasing restrictions, usually culminating in the most sacred spaces being restricted to members of an established priesthood. Bibliography
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