Bog #9: reflection on Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: the Nature of Religion

 For class readings we were provided excerpts from Eliades work, however I later on went out of my way to find a full version of the text as it resonated with my understanding of the class. Mircea Eliade’s work, “The Sacred and the Profane,” offers an insightful framework for understanding the sacred, especially when applied to the film world. Eliade’s exploration manifestations of the sacred can be seen in the way films depict the divine breaking into the profane world. Whether it’s through the intervention of a god-like figure like we see in Blade Runner, the discovery of a sacred object, or the experience of a miraculous event like in Wings of Desire, these cinematic moments echo the Hellenistic practice of seeking the divine in the everyday. They remind us that the sacred is not confined to temples or texts but is woven into the very fabric of life, waiting to be rediscovered and discussed in new light. Films then become a modern vehicle for the expression of timeless religious and philosophical ideas. They challenge us to look beyond the surface, to find the sacred within the profane. In this way, Eliade’s work continues to illuminate the enduring quest for the sacred in a profane world, something I further discuss in my term paper with a central focus on beetlejuice. 

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