Lupta pentru centrul lumii Despre „Dublul paradox al locurilor sfinte creştine” de la Ierusalim
The Fight for the center of the world. About “the double paradox of the Holy Christian Places” in Jerusalem

Summary/Abstract: Jerusalem occupies a central place in the sacred geography of the world. For the Jews, the Temple in Jerusalem is a landmark of their holy history, for Muslims, the Dome of the Rock, and for Christians, the Holy Sepulcher. This study describes the relations between Christians and the other two religions in Jerusalem, as well as the relations between Christians themselves. In time, Jerusalem became the object of pilgrimage for three different religions, naturally targeting the central elements for each religion in particular. The tensions inherited from the Ottoman period are still fresh in the daily newspaper of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After 1967, Jerusalem faces a profound transition: after two millennia of peripheral status, the three times holy city has become the capital of the state Israel, a “center” that is not “far” anymore, instead being positioned precisely in the heart of the society. Given the coexistence of the three cities, this transformation enforces the three societies to further intermingle. In a context of extreme tension, the sacred meaning of this city makes it a symbolic “mined fi eld” where the slightest unsuitable gesture has literally explosive effects.

• Details
• Contents