Religion, the Holy and the sacred

This chapter reviews current anthropological theorizing of religion and discusses the ambiguities surrounding religion's constituent concepts, namely, “the holy,” “the sacred,” “transcendence,” and “authority.” The distinction between the Holy and the sacred is examined and its significance to the structure of authority is explored as a basis for an anthropological understanding of the Qur'ān.

This chapter reviews current anthropological theorizing of religion and discusses the ambiguities surrounding religion's constituent concepts, namely, “the holy,” “the sacred,” “transcendence,” and “authority.” The distinction between the Holy and the sacred is examined and its significance to the structure of authority is explored as a basis for an anthropological understanding of the Qur'ān.