sacredorsecular

Sacredorsecular is a neologism used to describe phenomena, practices, or identities that negotiate or blend sacred and secular dimensions. As an adjective, it characterizes the overlap or continuum between sacred meanings—derived from religious, ritual, or transcendent understandings—and secular contexts, norms, or institutions.

Scholars in religious studies, anthropology, sociology, art history, and cultural studies have used the term to discuss how spaces, rituals, or discourses incorporate both sacred and secular elements without fully committing to one frame. It can refer to ceremonies in civil or national life that invoke sacred language while serving secular purposes; to architecture that uses sacral aesthetics in secular buildings; or to ethical frameworks that draw on religious moral intuitions but operate within secular governance.

Examples include public holidays with sacred origins celebrated in a secular state, or museums presenting sacred artworks in a context that emphasizes historical rather than devotional meaning; or communities maintaining liturgical practices while identifying as secular or multi-faith pluralistic societies.

Origin and usage: sacredorsecular appears as a portmanteau combining sacred and secular. It is not widely standardized and is used variably in scholarly or journalistic writing to describe hybrid forms rather than a single tradition.

Critiques note that the term can obscure underlying power relations or fail to capture the diversity of contexts; some argue for more precise terms like sacralization or secularization depending on the focus.

Related concepts include sacred and profane, sacralization, secularization, and hybridity in religion and culture.