Biblical Anthropology – Sacred Spaces

How to Enroll?

Participation in the course takes place after completing two steps:

1. Pay the fee of 30 Euros at the link:
2. Complete your registration at the link:

ATTENTION: Please use the same email address for both steps of the registration process (payment and enrollment).
Registration entitles you to attend live or recorded classes and to receive a certificate from Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT), upon successful completion of the assessments.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

The biblical text is permeated with places where the manifestation of God or angels occurred,
where miracles were witnessed and sites of worship were established. All these places share
in common the fact that they are spaces where the Sacred became present amidst humanity and
nature. Biblical Anthropology is an essential tool for understanding the importance and meaning
of sacred spaces in biblical geography. In this course, we will study the anthropological foundations
of the sacralization of space in the universal religious imagination and explore the natural and
artificial sacred spaces found in the Old and New Testaments in their cultural and religious meanings.
Based on this knowledge, we will be able to better understand the profound relationship between spirituality
and biblical sacred spaces.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

Everyone is welcome: the curious, scholars in general, those interested in the history of Christianity,
students and professors of religious studies and theology, religious leaders in general, pastors,
laypeople, those involved in the religious/ecclesial field, pastoral agents, educators, and community leaders.

ARE THERE ANY PREREQUISITES?

There are no prerequisites to take the course, only the willingness to learn and openness
to dialogue with other participants.

WHEN DOES IT START?

The course begins on April 11, 2026. It lasts for 4 Saturdays, ending on May 2.

HOW ARE THE CLASSES CONDUCTED?

Classes will take place live on Saturdays at 3:00 PM (Brazil) / 6:00 PM (Portugal) via the
Zoom platform. Each class will consist of 1 hour of lecture followed by 30 minutes for
questions and discussion.

We understand that the class schedule may not be convenient for all time zones.
For those who have difficulty attending at this time, a recording of each session
will be made available to all enrolled participants.

You may watch the classes whenever you wish. Each session is recorded and made available on the
course page so that you can watch it at your convenience.

HOW IS THE ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED?

The assessment is organized into two stages:

• Completion of exercises in each class (4)
• Submission of a brief learning report at the end of the module, 1 to 3 pages.

The final course grade will be weighted as follows:

• Exercises – 40%
• Final Report – 60%

The course ends on May 2, 2026.
The final report must be submitted in PDF or DOC format by May 16, 2026.

COURSE PROGRAM:

Class 1: Anthropology and Sacred Spaces
Summary: Study of the concept of sacred space and its characteristics; sacred space
as a cultural and religious category.

Class 2: Sacred Spaces in the Old Testament.
Summary: Study of natural and artificial sacred spaces in the formation of the
Israelite people; the importance of the tabernacle and the first temple.

Class 3: Sacred Spaces in the New Testament.
Summary: Study of sacred spaces in the life of Jesus and in the formation of the Christian church.

Class 4: The Spirituality of Biblical Sacred Spaces.
Summary: Study of the relationship between sacred spaces and religious experience.

SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

ALLENDE, C.; AMALFI, F.; Gómez, T. Sacred Places – a magical geography of the Earth. Círculo de Leitores, 2010.
ALVES, Herculano. Symbols in the Bible. Fátima: Difusora Bíblica, 2006.
AMERICAN Bible Society. Sacred Places – exploring the lands of the Bible. Libert Street, 2013.
ASTLEY, H.J.D. Biblical Anthropology. Oxford: University Press, 1929.
BRIEND, Jacques et alli. Archaeology, Bible and History. Lisbon: Difusora Bíblica, 2010.
ELIADE, M. History of Religious Beliefs and Ideas, vol. 1. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 2010.
ELIADE, M. The Sacred and the Profane – the essence of religions. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2001.
ELIADE, M. Treatise on the History of Religions. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2002.
HOOKE, S.H. Myth, Ritual and Kingship – essays on the theory and practice of kingship in the ancient Near East and in Israel. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.
POIRIER, Jean. History of Customs: time, space and rhythms. Lisbon: Estampa, 1998.
RIBEIRO, Lidice Meyer Pinto. The Church – sacred space reorganizing the world. Cadernos CERU, series 2, n.17, 2006. pp.171-191.
RIBEIRO, Lidice Meyer Pinto. In search of the sacred spaces of Israel. Revista Comunhão, November 29, 2018.
RIBEIRO, Lidice Meyer Pinto. Rural Protestantism – magic and religion coexisting through faith. São Paulo: Reflexão, 2014.
ROBERTSON-SMITH. Lectures on The Religion of The Semites. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1907.
ROITMAN, Adolfo. From the Tabernacle to the Temple – on sacred space in ancient Judaism. Navarra: Editorial Verbo Divino, 2017.
SACCHI, Paolo. Sacred/Profane – impure/pure in the Bible and its surroundings. Aparecida, SP: Editora Santuário, 2011.
TAYLOR, Anthony. The Sacred Sites of the Bible – the definitive guide to spiritual places. Union Square & Co., 2010.
THOMPSON, J.A. The Bible and Archaeology – when science discovers faith. São Paulo: Vida Cristã, 2007.

MEET THE PROFESSOR:

Lidice Meyer Pinto Ribeiro holds a Postdoctoral degree in Anthropology and History from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She earned her PhD in Anthropology from the University of São Paulo and holds a Master’s degree in Ethnobotany from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/National Museum, Brazil. She is a professor in the Master’s Program in Religious Studies at Lusófona University of Portugal, at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Portugal, and at the Open University of Psychology and Self-Knowledge in Brazil. She is a researcher at the Chair of Global Studies of the Open University of Lisbon (CIPSH). She is also a member of the Institute of Contemporary Christianity (ICC), the Portuguese Society for the History of Protestantism (SPHP), an evaluator for the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), and for several international academic journals.

She worked for more than 20 years at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo, Brazil, coordinating postgraduate programs in Theology, Philosophy, and Education, and teaching in the Master’s Program in Religious Studies, undergraduate Theology, and other courses.

She is a commentator and consultant on religion and anthropology in social media, TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. In Brazil, she has participated as an interviewee or consultant in several television specials on Bandeirantes, Record, Globo, SBT, Cultura, and Brasil networks.

In recent years, she has dedicated herself to Biblical Anthropology, with special emphasis on the study of women in the Bible and in Christianity, teaching several courses on this topic.

She has published books and articles in the fields of religion, history, anthropology, and ethnobotany. She has conducted research in Rome (Vatican Secret Archive, Archivio Storico di Propaganda Fide, and Gregorian University), Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, the United States, and Brazil. Her most recent book: Christianity in the Feminine, published by Mundo Cristão.

Web page: www.lidicemeyer.pro

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