The Inwardly Shifted Threshold: The Hybrid Space as a Transgression of the Dichotomy of Sacred and Profane

Abstract

The threshold at the church door traditionally marks the transition from the profane to the sacred. However, a strict separation of these realms did not exist until modern times. Only secular thinking marginalizes the sacred. The loss of sacred spaces as a result of the shrinking of Christian communities in Western Europe affects society as a whole. Their transformation into spiritual, cultural, or social meeting places benefits everyone, not least the Christian communities themselves.