The Labyrinth as Sacred Cosmos

Millions of people in recent years have been captivated by the mystery and beauty of a 4,000-year-old geometric form called the "labyrinth." They have walked, prayed, meditated, and participated in rituals on the labyrinth's winding path as it guides them with certainty into the center. Labyrinths are located in schools, prisons, hospitals, parks, and churches. They have become a unifying symbol and a ritual structure attracting people from a broad spectrum of religions and spiritual pursuits, making the labyrinth a window through which to view the growing trend of religious diversity. This book examines how the labyrinth is emerging around the world as an arena for ritual that is unbounded by the structures, rules, and limitations that often accompany religious traditions. The labyrinth belongs to no one religion, has no single leader, no absolute ritual, and no authoritative text. By examining the labyrinth's ancient classical and Christian history and describing its diverse contemporary rituals we can discover the importance of ritual as a means of engaging with a sacred cosmos.