ABSTRACT
Although Eliade’s seminal work might arouse certain post-structuralist suspicions of any analysis which seeks to elucidate underlying rules or universal norms, his notion of sacred space can be seen as both relevant and enlightening when applied to the specific context of Reformation England. This chapter will focus on the determination of the English Catholic hierarchy to maintain some semblance of continuity in the use of sacred space in Elizabethan England even though this left priests increasingly exposed and vulnerable to arrest. By contrasting these risks taken by priests and Catholic laity with the hostile response of the Protestant government, the chapter will seek to draw out continuities and discontinuities in concepts of sacred space, and examine how the issue became so crucial in Reformation England.
