Understanding the Nature of the Divine and the Sacred

Elements of the Religious Phenomenon: The Supreme Being

There is a supreme reality, superior and incomprehensible to humanity, designated by the name God. This mystery represents a reality beyond human understanding, whose presence is felt within the field of the sacred, inviting a reorganization of one's life. It is not merely a truth, idea, or concept to be learned, but a living presence.

In religious experience, this presence is felt as absolutely real, yet it remains unprovable through rational evidence. It is fundamentally different and superior to humanity—a "wholly other" that stands in contrast to the mundane and natural world, rendering it transcendent. Simultaneously, it is felt as intimate and close within the depths of the person. This absolute transcendence and omnipresence evoke a sense of awe, often accompanied by fear, yet it remains the most invaluable aspect of the religious experience.

This ultimate reality is generically called God, though it receives numerous appellations, including:

• The Divine
• Ultimate Reality
• Significance
• Spirit
• The Absolute

Qualities Attributed to the Supreme Reality

1. Grandeur: Great, beautiful, shining, and sublime. "How many are your works!"
2. Internal Presence: "The presence of God could in no way doubt that was in me." — Saint Teresa
3. Intimacy: "You were within me, but that the most intimate interior of my own." — Saint Augustine
4. Unity: The supreme spirit of mystery.
5. Ineffability: "There, sight fails, the word fails, nor does the mind grasp it. We do not know, nor do we understand how someone could teach it. It is unlike anything known and unlike the unknown as well."

The Manifestation of the Sacred

The ultimate reality, or God, does not belong to the natural order; it is distinct from our surroundings. However, it can be encountered in specific "hotspots," through certain persons, or via particular actions. The term holy means "separated." What is sacred cannot be treated in an ordinary manner because it no longer belongs to the natural world, but to God.

Sacred objects and places are distinct because they represent something beyond themselves. That which has become sacred is "inhabited" by a reality that acts as a door to the Divine. The sacred attracts while simultaneously producing a sense of fear, yet the religious person seeks to approach it, drawn by the promise of power, energy, and ultimately, salvation.