Is Sacred Site Discovered? Or Created?: A Case Study of Daesoon Jinrihoe

Abstract

Present-day theories of sacred space can be summed up in two ways: first, there is the perspective that one cannot choose a sacred site based upon one’s will but can only discover it; for that space is thought to have innately acquired its sacredness via hierophany. Second, another perspective is that humankind actively creates sacred space, ascribing their own interests upon a place by occupying and activating the sacredness of that location. Those who adopt the former approach can be referred to as ‘sacred space discovery theorists,’ whereas those who adopt the latter would thereby be ‘sacred space creation theorists.’ This is the case because the perception of religion as a sui generis phenomenon is restricted to theology as a premise based upon faith. This begs the question though: Is it possible to comprehensively elucidate sacred spaces through the adoption of a single theory? Is it not the case that doing so would lead us to neglect another seminal dimension? What if scholars adopt both perspectives in an objective stance regardless of their personal convictions about religion? Considering these issues, this chapter proposes that such contrasting perspectives are needed to understand certain religious spaces. Daesoon Jinrihoe, one of the representative new religions in Korea, will be highlighted as a case study. Its sacred space can be interpreted as either discovered or created according to which perspective is adopted. The chapter argues that compounding the two aforementioned perspectives broadens possible explanations of the sacred space.