Religious Culture In The Space Of Symbolic Representation And Practice

Space is the foundation of human existence, based on physical space, people set up a social order, relationship and structure, defining the scope and boundary of material. In the study of the humanities and social science, space is an important tool for analyzing human social order, structure and interaction, but also a basic social fact and practice event. Therefore, space is one of the most important material and order elements of human existence; it is also the common experiences of human being. Space is closely linked with the human body, substance and material morphology. People built spatial relationships and nurtured spatial sense in this process. They are growing up along with human subjectivity. So, space is related to human experience, it not only shows that the position of people in the natural and society, but also that the surroundings of human survival and life.According to the research achievements of scholars, space is mainly manifested in three aspects:first, space is related with the human body schema and survival experience; second, space is the model of material relationship constructed by people; third, space is a social space that formed by the interaction between people, this type of space is apt to associated with culture and meaning. Of course, they all three are together.Because of the space is indispensability for the human survival, experience and the order. So, religion culture system pays heed to the spatial experience. As a culture, religion refers to people, people’s spiritual beliefs and social fields. Religion uses various ways and methods are given to provide emotional support and practical order for human, including construction of space, it is an important aspect of religious culture. Theorists from different angles to explore the value and meaning of religion, but not separated from the space symbolic representation and construction. We think that space structure and symbolic representation displays religious cultural meaning. This is a comparatively new perspective.The main content of this paper contains the space morphology and its practical significance in religious culture system. We discuss the relationship form and religious symbolic system from the aspects of semiotics and typology of spatial patterns. We research on spatial typology in religious culture is in accordance with this logic and thinking. The religious culture, exhibit the spatial morphology also corresponds with the general space, related to the individual, social and spiritual, the three are not completely separate, but the belief and reality cohesion as a whole through space.Therefore, the first chapter is about the space signs and symbol in religious culture. In the construction process of space, religious cultures represent its thought and doctrine through the spatial symbols and patterns. In the constructed space in religion, the special meaning of religion emerged to the believer.The second and the third chapter started form the construction of space in religious cultures. In the two chapters, we discussed the relationship between body and space; the body schema and emotional experience in religious culture. In the individual’s body level, religious culture are concerned about the body structure and survival of emotional experience, this is the religious space of individual or micro level. Religions normally have a fixed pattern in ceremony, rite or religious dance, it is through the body schema to communicate with the gods; or set taboo, delimit the scope of activities and emotional boundaries. In another level of the substance, the religious material space represents their faith. The formation of religion has its own characteristics of the material space form, to perform the religious culture and its significance. Religion should have its own sites, sites for religious activities, the ceremony of the space, and make a functional distinction; religion also uses the physical model to display the religious significance, such as sculpture, painting, and so on.On the basis of previous discussion, the fourth chapter summarizes the characteristics and functions of religious cultural space, structure and order. The religious and cultural space has separated and connected function, resulting in the formation of a unique structure and order, which is closely related to the religious space of production and practice. Religions are always interacting and overlap with other social cultural fields, showed different from other cultural traits. Such as:religious and ethnic; religious and national; religious and cultural geographical. Religion is also trying to expand their influence and scope; it is the production and practice of religious space. Thus, the last part we discussed is that religious movements in space:the space production, create and interaction with other groups. Form these analyses; we try to find the practical significance of cultural interaction among the different cultures.