Symbolism of the "Centre" - Susan Watkins

(Reflection on Assigned Reading)

In the first section of Mircea Eliade's Images and Symbols, he discusses the existence and nature of religious "centres" in primal societies. These centres are physical geographical locations which are also somehow connections into the nonphysical sacred world. They symbolize the "centre of the world" not because the primal peoples actually believed they were central in terms of land or sea, but because they were the point of origin and significance for all that happened in the world.

It's interesting that in today's American society, this concept of centre is not completely lost but also certainly not the same as in those primal cultures. We speak of certain American cities as "centers of business, centers of economy, centers of politics" and in this way establish that they are supremely important in the existence and expression of these things regardless of the fact that such phenomena are inherently dependent on the country at large, not just those cities. At the same time, the idea of having a religious centre within American society is almost completely foreign, partially because we lack a unified religious identity and partially because Christian roots in American thought tend to reject the idea that any one spot on earth is more sacred than another. If the concept of religious centre is in fact present in American culture, I would guess that it most likely lies in Israel because most Americans consider that place the origin of the major world religions.

I wonder, though, if Americans haven't replaced the idea of religious centre in terms of geography with religious ritual? The American population at large sees the physical act of going to church as something "religious," even if they do not practice it. In fact, many non-Christian Americans define Christian religious experience as "going to church, living a good life," when most actual Christians I know would argue that physically going to church is not the important part, but rather the sacred experiences facilitated by the church. Thus, in the public eye the act of going to church is an example of a central ritual of religion. If the geography of churches has any association with "centre" for America, I would guess it's not about the land itself but the practices which go on there. Thus, in times of need even non-religious people will migrate to local churches because they have witnessed others experiencing the sacred there, though they themselves have not. The ritual is important, not so much the place.