The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade (1968, Paperback)

Anyone even bluffing as expert on religion should read Mircea Eliade. My review ends with the end of the first sentence, but I'm required to enter 100 characters. So...this should be more than the required number of characters. I actually said all I wished to in the first sentence as you might have guessed!

Years ago, I was assigned this book in one of my university classes. I number it in my most memorable and personally influential works that I have ever read. At the time, I had just begun to study archaeology and had very little understanding of the concept of ethnocentricism. My personal way of thinking was very black and white. The only real experience that I had with the dichotomies of the sacred versus the profane at that point was my own experiences.

The Sacred and the Profane gave me an entirely different perspective. I began seeing how others saw religion, spirituality, ritual, and symbolism in slightly different ways. How certain experiences could be interpreted in a variety of ways to become personal and cultural beliefs. I also noticed how these beliefs permeated into everyday life. So began my interests in spirituality, symbolic dichotomies, and the varied beliefs of others.

The book was not new, it was worn but okay. I received the book in great time and I am happy with the seller.

I needed the book for my religion class, it was somewhat interesting. The book itself was a little worn, it had tape holding it together on the cover.