Final answer:
Durkheim defines religion as a structure around sacred things, which are set apart and revered, unlike the profane which is ordinary. An example of this distinction is water, which is ordinarily profane but can become sacred in religious rituals like baptism or ritual washing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sociologist Émile Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things”, meaning that religion provides a structure of significance around the concept of the sacred, which is set apart from the ordinary or profane. Thus, religion is deeply embedded in the cultural and social fabric of societies. The distinction between sacred and profane is crucial to understanding religious life according to Durkheim. Sacred items or concepts are treated with reverence and are often seen as extraordinary, while profane items are ordinary and lack the special status of sacred things.
An example of an item that can be seen as either sacred or profane is water. In everyday life, water is profane; we drink it, bathe in it, and use it for cooking without ascribing any special significance to it. However, in certain religious contexts, such as baptism in Christianity or the ritual washing before prayer in Islam, water becomes a sacred element that purifies and consecrates. Thus, the meaning of water transcends its physical properties and becomes imbued with religious significance.