New publication: Geographies of Religious Spaces and Sacred Landscapes

We are thrilled to announce the release of an inspiring new book, “Geographies of Religious Spaces and Sacred Landscapes” edited by Darius Liutikas and published by Edward Elgar Publishing, which offers a range of perspectives from leading researchers and academics on the social, cultural, and religious transformations linked to historic places of worship.

The book explores the pivotal role of sacred landscapes in today’s globalised world, analysing the latest research of how political, social, and historical factors influence their creation, preservation, and transformation. It examines the significance of sacred landscapes in shaping social identity and community history, providing valuable insights into their rich heritage and evolving traditions.

Darius Liutikas brings together renowned scholars to discuss religious rituals, practices, and sanctuaries, comparing sacred sites from different religions and revealing the cultural and spiritual importance of these spaces across diverse regions. Contributors discuss globalised challenges, and outline theories, concepts, and practical examples relating to the anthropological and sociological backgrounds of sacred landscapes. Exploring the nexus between religion and geography, the book demonstrates how sacred spaces adapt to meet the needs of evolving societies, highlighting the relationship between religious traditions and their spatial expressions.

The book was released on 17 July 2025 and is for sale at Elgar online: https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollbook/book/9781035343829/9781035343829.xml

Contributions by FRH members

This inspiring new book features contributions from numerous members of our network, who explore contemporary issues such as the processes of reuse and reinterpretation of religious sites, the transformation of sacred landscapes, and their role in reinforcing culture, identities and connecting communities across various European regions.

We encourage you to take a look and deepen your understanding of these complex issues with insights from leading researchers and academics!

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Contents

List of contributors vii

1 | Religious geography and sacred landscape: an introduction to the research area, by Darius Liutikas

PART I CREATION, AFFIRMATION AND PRESERVATION

2 | Utilisation of religious spaces: rituals, practices and community engagement, by Ruth Dowson
3 | The influence of sanctuaries on the creation of sacral landscape as exemplified by Catholic pilgrimage centres, by Izabela Sołjan
4 | New features and functions of European calvaries, by Elżbieta Bilska-Wodecka
5 | Temples and the contested development of sacred landscapes: the case of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Daniel H. Olsen, Samuel M. Otterstrom and Brandon S. Plewe
6 | Understanding the cosmology of Meru cult architecture in Bali, Indonesia, by I Putu Gede Suyoga and Mira Sartika
7 | Chapel Road: the dichotomy of motorways and sanctuary in Germany, by Marcus van der Meulen
8 | The development of the sacred place: Virgin Mary’s House in Ephesus, by İrem Enser
9 | The Hermitage of Silence at the Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico: an altar for the centuries, by Rafael Ramírez Eudave
10 | Hindu sacred landscapes: evolution, perspectives, contemporality, and prospects, by Rana P. B. Singh and Pravin S. Rana
11 | The use of ritual and space in synagogues within representations of modern English Jewish heritage, by Jessie Clark

PART II TRANSFORMATION AND RE-USE

12 | The sacred space in the City of Syracuse: from the Temple of Apollo to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears, by Agnese Giannini
13 | Church reuse as a strategy toward sustainable development of religious heritage, by Maria Arno
14 | Landscapes of transformation in sacred and religious structures: Germany, by Manuela Klauser, Kerstin Menzel, Susanne Hanika, Martina Schmitz and Albert Gerhards
15 | Religious-cultural landscape and land use conflicts: the case of Meteora (Greece), by Polyxeni Moira, Paraskevi Kakaroucha and Dimitrios Mylonopoulos
16 | Amokokupai and the Alleluia Penumbra: a spiritual geography of an Indigenous Christian landscape, by Daniel G. Cooper and Dino Bozonelos
17 | Sacred and profane spaces in a Mayan landscape: Mérida and its surrounding towns in times of sustainability, by Raúl Enrique Rivero Canto