Kyle Shipe: Topos and Chora

When thinking about the sacred I never distinguished the idea of have a place, and then having a "sacred place." I think Lane does an excellent job of portraying this when he describes topos and chora. Topos is defined as just a mere location, a measurable and quantifiable point, where chora is an energizing force, suggestive to imagination. I now see how I can apply that principle to all the places I think of as sacred. The chora is the remembrance or part of that place that makes it special and gives it significance. The topos is the actual geography and physical being of the place. However, I think that it is possible for the two to overlap. If I think about a certain place I consider sacred, the actual topos has a lot to with the chora. The sand on the beach contributes to the topos of the place but also the chora. Overall both parts play their individual role in making a place, but perhaps in certain circumstances it is possible for them to overlap and together make up a sacred place.