Pilgrimage and Human Society, Session I Outline 13 October 2009

Jubilee Pilgrims in Rome, 1300 AD

Atlanta, GA (actually Peachtree City, a slurb about 20 miles south of ATL)

A day or two prior to each session I plan to post an outline of the subjects to be covered. The first session of 717 Pilgrimage and Human Society is an introduction to the subject of pilgrimage viewed from the standpoint of its socio-cultural characteristics. It begins with a brief "participant observer thick description" (using all of the jargon in one phrase) of three pilgrimages as a way of introducing empirically some of the subjects to be discussed during the course. The remainder of the discussion will look at some of the subjects to be examined in detail in later sessions as well as the issues of pilgrim motivations, an aspect of the psychology of pilgrimage.

Outline, Session I "Introduction to Pilgrimage"

I. A brief examination of three pilgrimages.

II. Pilgrimage and official opinion

a. Sanctioned and encouraged pilgrimages

b. Tolerated pilgrimages

c. Popular pilgrimages, officially discouraged

III. What is pilgrimage?

a. Some definitions

b. Sacred and secular pilgrimages

IV. Where do pilgrims go?

a. Christian examples

i. Major shrines (Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela)

ii. Minor shrines

iii. Romerias

b. Other than Christian examples

V. Travel to the shrine

a. Only the destination shrine is important

b. The route is the pilgrimage

VI. Pilgrim motivations

a. Religious

i. Supplicants

ii. Thanks givers

iii. Penitents

iv. Seekers

v. Community membership

b. Extra-religious

i. Adventure

ii. Trade

iii. Diplomacy and war

iv. Escape

v. Heresy

vi. Crime

VII. Pilgrimage and tourism

VIII. The remainder of the course

a. Course Schedule

b. Limitations

i. A socio-cultural examination, not a discussion of theology

ii. Tolerant of most religious viewpoints

iii. Biased toward Christian examples in Europe and the Americas

iv. My other limitations