ABSTRACT
The context, the meaning of words, as well as that of concepts, objects, and spaces, are all created through the action and interaction of people. Many are familiar with terms "sacred" and "profane", made popular by Mircea Eliade's book, The Sacred and the Profane: the Nature of Religion. Even if they are not familiar with his work, for most academics and even the general populace, the sacred/profane dichotomy is authoritative and prediscursive. The dichotomy "sacred vs. profane" also relies on a Eurocentric ontology. Eliade used a very Eurocentric interpretation of cultural traditions for his anthropological study. Euro/American scholars would never consider advancing such sweeping generalities on their own history-just think of all the ink scholars and dilettantes have spent on the complexities of the American Civil War. The point is that context is of paramount importance in understanding how one defines concepts and cultural traditions, particularly religious cultures.
