Sacred Worlds: An Introduction to Geography and Religion

by Chris Park

This book, the first in the field for two decades, looks at the relationships between geography and religion. It represents a synthesis of research by geographers of many countries, mainly since the 1960s. No previous book has tackled this emerging field from such a broad, interdisciplinary perspective, and never before have such a variety of detailed case studies been pulled together in so comparative or illuminating a way. Examples and case studies have been drawn from all the major world religions and from all continents from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Major themes covered in the book include the distribution of religion and the processes by which religion and religious ideas spread through space and time. Some of the important links between religion and population are also explored. A great deal of attention is focused on the visible manifestations of religion on the cultural landscape, including landscapes of worship and of death, and the whole field of sacred space and religious pilgrimage.

346 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

For the children's book illustrator, see Chris Park and Christopher D. Park.

For the environmental and theological writer see Chris Park and Chris C. Park.

For the motoring journalist, see Chris Park.

For the physician and drug abuse specialist, see Chris Park.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The following is the last paragraph from my book review of Sacred Worlds for my World Geography class in Spring 2003:

Sacred Worlds is a synthesis of academic studies for geographers to show them, in Park’s mind, that in “geography of religion” their studies are based on observation not theory. Park wanted to force geographers to see that all the empirical studies of “geography of religion” have basically taken place and what is now needed is theoretical studies by geographers. If a reader is a geography student who wants to devote their time to the “geography of religion” then this is a must read book. But I caution those who are not because it will be come burden to finish.