Final answer:
To sanctify the ordinary objects and events in our lives means to elevate them to a sacred status. This is a key aspect of many religions and is a process that can imbue commonplace objects with spiritual significance, often through consecration rituals. Sociologists and anthropologists like Émile Durkheim and Mary Douglas have studied the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane.
Step-by-step explanation:
To sanctify the ordinary objects and events in our lives means to elevate the commonplace to a sacred status. This process involves transforming secular, mundane things into items or events with religious or spiritual significance, often through ceremonies or special rituals. In many cultures and religions, this could mean assigning sacred values to objects that would be considered profane in other contexts. Émile Durkheim, a French sociologist, contributed substantially to this concept by distinguishing between the sacred and the profane. Durkheim argued that sacred items are extraordinary and inspire wonder because they are connected to the divine, while profane items pertain to the ordinary aspects of life.
For example, in Christianity, the sacraments sanctify specific stages in life like birth and marriage, transforming these ordinary events into momentous religious rituals that hold deep spiritual significance. Shrines and other sacred spaces are physical embodiments of this sanctification, where buildings or natural locations are consecrated to become places of worship and community gathering focused on the sacred. Durkheim, Malinowski, and anthropologists such as Mary Douglas have studied how these definitions of sacred and profane structure religious beliefs and societal norms.