Engaging Sacred Space: Experiments in the Field

This article reflects on the experience of theorizing sacred space through field practice as part of a fieldtrip to Barcelona. In particular, it focuses on the critical analysis of different approaches to sacred space as applied to various sites in the city. The article opens with a brief review of three mainstream approaches to sacred space: the ‘structuralist’, the ‘postmodern’ and the ‘more-than-representational’. It then reflects on the limits of and possibilities opened by these approaches in a fieldwork exercise and on students' responses to sacred space. It concludes with some critical comments in the light of students' feedback and suggestions for possible further development.