Courtney Botkin
Sacred Blog #11
11-21-16
Image and Pilgrimage
Chapter 7: Conclusion
After
reading the about the Catholic pilgrimages in Western Europe and New World, it
is concluded that pilgrimages should not be seen as a model to follow but
instead a foundation in history. Every pilgrimage, no matter how long, will
eventually change because of political boundaries shifting. Pilgrimages are
easily affected by social changes and popular moods because people are often
swayed by the fascinations and adventures of others. This, however, eliminates
some of the aspects of religious purposes and turn the aim to self-desires and fulfillment.
Pilgrimage systems are more liminoid
than liminal in form. Liminoid is openness to a certain concept of religion. Liminal
is talking about the in-between stage of a religious process or structure. The
liminal stage has defined borders and separation margins.
It is acknowledged
that when a religious organization becomes tightly focused on nonreligious entities,
such as politics, legal, and economics, they move from the liminoid stage to
the liminal stage. This means that they are reverting from voluntarist opportunities
to ritualistic experiences. This is what is believed to have happened to the Catholic
pilgrimages in the Middle Ages.
It is
disappointing to see that pilgrimages were turning away from the sacrificial and
holy beings because they were too focused on the idea of pilgrimages more than
the actual pilgrimage itself. It is easy to see people lose interest in sacred
practices from previous eras, but it is rewarding when the practices are passed
from the generations. In the Middle Ages, the church would become involved in
corrupt practices and that is said to be how/when people started viewing
pilgrimages differently.
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