Image and Pilgrimage #1

Turner & Turner offer an interesting warning in Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture that can be easily overlooked. It reads on page 9: "Pilgrimage, then, offers liberation from profane social structures that are symbolic with a specific religious system, but they do this only in order to intensify the pilgrim's attachment to his own religion, often in fanatical opposition to other religions. That is why some pilgrimages have become crusades and jihads." This is so wildly against the idea of a pilgrimage, it is strange that it is so common as to be mentioned in the introduction to the book. In our society we certainly see the fanatical opposition mentioned, even among those who have not been on a traditional pilgrimage.

What Turner & Turner are speaking about is the ability for a sacred pilgrimage to intensify a pilgrim's beliefs in a specific religion, often due to the fullness of its presence and acceptance in the culture around them. Walking the Appalachian Trail, one might expect to see a mix of religious, spiritual-but-not-religious, and secular hikers. Walking the Camino de Santiago, one would expect most pilgrims to be Christians, although not all are. Walking to Mecca, one would expect to see almost completely Muslim pilgrims. This shows us that there are degrees of traditionally and isolation in pilgrimages. However, the purpose of a pilgrimage is to search for spiritual significance, to be tried as a human and tested in one's faith to determine what is true. I would argue that the purpose of a pilgrimage is not to be isolated with fellow believers, but to be surrounded by many different ideas so that the truth can shine more brightly in comparison.

It is probably true that the degree of separation from opposing viewpoints can increase the chances that the pilgrim will take on fanatical views, and if so this effect can also take place outside of a traditional pilgrimage. I believe that in our recent election cycle this has been shown in full force, with a truly fanatical opposition by some Christian voters to Muslim immigrants. When one surrounds oneself with only those of the same faith and does not allow their views to be tested, it is easy to take on these radical beliefs and be so strongly opposed to others. After all, if a true pilgrim walks so many miles and encounters so many different ways of thinking about the world, how is it possible to condemn people so quickly for what they believe?