Sacred Spaces in a World of Movement

In the social sciences, the mobilities paradigm studies people in movement in contrast to a sedentary paradigm that treats dwelling as being at peace and at home. If the world of movement in places such as stations, hotels, motorways, resorts, and airports is seen as parallel to the sedentary world, it raises a question of whether there are any forms of sacred space equivalent to those found in fixed settlements. In the world of movement, in general, religious activity is lacking or takes attenuated or simplified forms. Sacred affordances can, however, be found in unexpected places. Dedicated sacred space is mostly absent except for multifaith spaces (MFS), a new form of sacred space that has evolved since the year 2000. One way to understand MFS is to see them as adapted to the mobile world in the same way that other services have been commodified for universal use in a world in motion.