Landscapes of the Sacred Chapter 1

In order for a sacred place to become sacred, there must be experiences or encounters by a specific group or individual. This is why sacred place is known as "storied place". Due to this fact, there are four axioms that help us to understand how religion and holiness are connected to certain places. The first axiom is "sacred place is not chosen, it chooses" which means that you cannot just choose a place to be sacred, yet you can encounter or experience something which can make a place sacred to you personally. The second axiom is "sacred place is ordinary place made extraordinary". This means that places become sacred because of the things that are done or experienced in that certain place. The third axiom is "sacred place can be tired upon without being entered", which means that you can walk over a certain place multiple times and not find the sacredness of it until you experience or encounter it in that certain place. Finally, the fourth axiom is "the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal". This means that God and sacred place are never confined to one person or place, therefore it can be multiple places. A sacred place is not decided by the individual or communal recognition because God is the one who decides this for you personally. Individuals are tied to the earth and the landscape which seems to shape their personalities and beliefs throughout their lives.