Pilgrimage is generally understood to mean a journey to a significant location, typically of a religious nature; the person undertaking this endeavour is referred to as a pilgrim, a term that ‘…derives from the Latin peregrinnus, which has been associated with wandering or being a stranger…’ (Bowman, 2017, p.156).
Marion Bowman provides two types of pilgrimage: where the focus is on the journey, and where the focus is on the destination (2017, p.168). In some cases, there may be limited emphasis on the journey, for example the British town of Glastonbury, which has no established pilgrimage routes to it but is nonetheless an important place to visit for many (Bowman, 2017, p.179). Some pilgrims do not travel at all: the destination is brought to them in a form of a ‘virtual’ pilgrimage, for instance the Japanese Saikoku exhibition of 1987, where soil and statues from 33 different shrines were displayed in department stores (Bowman, 2017, p.195). For others, the journey is essential; Minke Walda writes that ‘…the journey to reach the religious site in question is in itself a ‘spiritual odyssey’ … a chance to … strengthen one’s faith during the sequence of religiously significant stops’ (2014, in Bowman, 2017, p.170).
Although the term ‘pilgrim’ is typically used to describe religious travellers, it has also entered secular language as a way to describe a trip to a meaningful or personally important destination, and has developed a range of meanings in contemporary culture – we will review these in the sections below, and then consider why pilgrimage might be attractive to people.
Given the similarity to tourism, there is often considerable overlap between the two categories, and individuals may find themselves alternating between leisure and spirituality within a single journey. In the case of the Camino of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, the tracks that crisscross the landscape have been designated a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe, and a Cultural Itinerary by UNESCO (Bowman, 2017, p.169), and many people walk for non-religious reasons. Bowman notes that ‘…tourist and pilgrim are not watertight categories…’ and individuals can shift and ‘…recalibrate according to what they are experiencing at any given moment’ (2017, p.172). The researcher Tiina Sepp encountered the difficulty of using simple categories to separate tourism from pilgrimage when speaking with a Dutch pilgrim, who argued the divide was a product of the way the researcher looked at people, rather than a real distinction (Sepp, 2012, in Bowman, 2017, p.176).
This points to one of the key facets of contemporary pilgrimage (and religion in general): its fluidity. Religious behaviour emerges from personal experience, and does not always resolve into discrete categories. Without understanding the underlying motive, it may be difficult to distinguish between actors who are motivated by a religious impulse, and those motivated by a secular experience, if their actions are similar or identical. Undoubtedly this has contributed to the increased use of religious terms in secular settings, and pilgrimage is no exception.
Bowman provides several examples of secular pilgrimage; journeys to significant (yet non-religious) sites that people feel drawn to and transformed by, including the homes and places associated with celebrities, funerals of public figures, and commemorative memorials (2017, p.191-2).
Many people make visits to the war graves and battlefields of Europe, and use the language of pilgrimage to describe their activities; both the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (2018) and the Royal British Legion (2018) use the term pilgrimage in their online materials. Jean Newman Glock provides an insider’s perspective on pilgrimage to Normandy: ‘This is what travel is about, a pilgrimage with with [sic] “feet on the ground” and meeting the people, past and present, who shape our lives today’ (2014).
In some cases, it is not just language that is borrowed from religion, but behaviours, rituals, and experiences. At the 2010 ‘annual pilgrimage’ to Graceland (former home to Elvis Presley), people took part in a candle-lit procession and left gifts at the singer’s grave. Some of the attendees described their experiences in powerful terms: ‘To be part of the Elvis experience and the aura of the whole thing, just means everything in the world to me.’ Others reported more explicitly religious perspectives on Elvis, stating ‘…there’s something spiritual about him … a calming feeling…’ (The Telegraph, 2010).
This sense of being part of something different and special is a recurring theme in the study of pilgrimages, and was noted by Turner and Turner, who argued that during pilgrimage people come together as part of a community (communitas) facilitated by their shared experience (Bowman, 2017, p.160,162).
Secular pilgrimage, just like religious pilgrimage, facilitates a connection with the lived history embedded in a particular site, however there is arguably less emphasis on the journey and more emphasis on being present at the location. Sometimes, however, it is not possible to make the journey at all, and in these cases individuals may take part in a virtual pilgrimage.
Virtual pilgrimages can take many different forms, for instance some Christians engage in a devotional practice known as the Stations of the Cross, where they contemplate 12 events that occurred during the last day of Jesus’s life. Although individuals do this privately and do not need to travel to any physical destination, those who take part within Franciscan churches are granted the same Catholic indulgences as those who make a full pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Bowman, 2017, pp.194-5), and it is also described as a ‘mini pilgrimage’ (Catholic Online, 2018).
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers provides a service that it describes as the Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage Experience. The experience utilises a rock and some water both taken from the Lourdes grotto in France, along with images and music designed to simulate the experience of visiting the real-world location (2015a). Attendees at services provided by this organisation report that the experience was moving and powerful, ‘I did feel like was actually at Lourdes walking in the procession…’, ‘I feel that the real presence of Our Lady was evident to all’. One attendee suggested that their finances had prevented them from making a physical pilgrimage to Lourdes, but the virtual pilgrimage allowed them to be there, ‘…fully in heart and soul and by the grace of God’ (2015b).
In some cases, the destination is no longer extant; in 2017 the British Museum offered a virtual pilgrimage to the Great Shrine of Amaravati, an ancient Buddhist structure, involving performances projected onto walls and audience participation: ‘Using new mobile phone technology you will be able to use your smartphone to interact with the pilgrims, explore the Shrine in detail and learn more about the power of patronage in ancient India’ (The British Museum, 2017). Here we can see the language of pilgrimage being used to describe ritual actions that will be performed, but also encouraging attendance and participation in an educational context.
The use of technology in pilgrimage is becoming increasingly prevalent, not just conventional transportation that facilitates expedited pilgrimage, but also in the form of digital communications that allow for near-instantaneous ‘travel’ to a pilgrimage site. In the multi-user virtual environment known as Second Life, people can visit recreations of sacred sites from various traditions, including a reproduction of Mecca. Like the Great Shrine of Amaravati at the British Museum, the simulated Mecca is presented for educational purposes, however it is also interacted with respectfully by digital pilgrims, who wear appropriate attire and remove their avatar’s shoes when entering. Krystina Derrickson (2008) writes that ‘…there is a blurring of the two Meccas … the space in Second Life … is treated as sacred and though purporting only to be an educational tool, is shown by user testimony to be a site of emotional experience of the sacred.’
So, we can see that pilgrimage (in all its varied forms) is a meaningful journey towards a significant destination, but in order to better understand why this activity might be attractive to a range of people, we will need to discuss the key aspects that underpin it. According to Mircea Eliade, the divine or sacred is a separate reality that can break through into non-sacred space and imbue it with divinity (Bowman, 2017, pp.158-9). In pursuit of the sacred for the sake of salvation, redemption, healing, or knowledge, individuals are drawn to the locations it is believed to have touched, and drawn out of their everyday lives. This social twilight is the liminal space described by Turner and Turner, where conventional patterns of behaviour are no longer expected (Bowman, 2017, p.162).
Pilgrims in liminal space are granted the social and psychological freedom to engage creatively with the perceived religious landscape and create ‘…diverse processes of sacralization of movement, persons and/or places’ (Coleman and Eade, 2004, in Bowman, 2017, p.165). We can see an example of this in the transition from regular dress and custom for Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage, into a state of ihram, or ritual purity (Bowman, 2017, p.163).
Meanwhile, the destination towards which the pilgrim moves is, according to Kim Knott, empty of the sacrality that Eliade posited (Bowman, 2017, p.159). Instead the charisma, power, and meaning of the site is socially constructed and preserved by those same pilgrims who choose to visit it; we have seen how people adapt their behaviour in relation to the digital representation of Mecca in Second Life, even though the virtual site is an artificial simulacrum. Knott’s perspective suggests that there would be conflicts of interpretation and meaning between competing social groups, and this is confirmed by Eade and Sallnow, who write that the sacred site is ‘…a vessel into which pilgrims devoutly pour their hopes, prayers and aspirations’ (2000, in Bowman, 2017, p.164).
Therefore, those pilgrimage sites that are most convincingly preserved by a single tradition, or most open to many traditions simultaneously, will tend to survive and thrive. We have seen that the Camino of Santiago de Compostela demonstrates how different groups (both secular and religious) can come together to provide alternative meanings in a constructive way; Eade and Sallnow describe it as having the ‘…capacity to absorb and reflect a multiplicity of religious discourses … to offer a variety of clients what each of them desires…’ (2000, in Bowman, 2017, p.177).
However their reputation and power is gained, pilgrimage sites invariably bring visitors with money to spend, and so fixed communities will tend to grow that thrive on the commerce of arriving travellers, reinforcing the importance of the location and offering meaningful objects for sale that the pilgrim carries with them back home, ‘…taking back some part of the charisma of a holy place…’ (Coleman & Elsner, 1995, in Bowman, 2017, p.166). Returning pilgrims will likely tell others of their experiences and feed into the same social narratives that built the pilgrimage site to begin with, such as the Confraternity of St James (Bowman, 2017, p.177).
In reviewing the process of pilgrimage, we are faced with many complex factors, but if we look broadly we can see that at root, they hinge upon the distinction between meaning and self: over there is something meaningful, it has arrived or taken birth or burst forth into existence, and I am over here, I am not that, so I must go to it in order to become meaningful. The popularity of pilgrimage seems to emerge from a very human desire for meaning, and a sense that meaning is not yet present, accessible, or understood.
It also provides a focal point to which all other desires, thoughts, and experiences are related; while on pilgrimage, everything is part of the journey, and therefore everything can be seen in relationship to the destination. This sense of orientation also supports the desire for meaning, while the pilgrim also benefits from a sense of freedom from ordinary concerns (the liminal state).
The sense of community that is often reported by people who come together due to a shared destination, who are experiencing a similar sense of freedom, is another reason that pilgrimage is popular. Pilgrims can more easily find sympathetic understanding in the hearts of people who are living through the same experiences, and on their return home they are transformed and may be given new social status.
Comparisons between pilgrimage and the religious life are not without merit, and there are many similarities – a journey towards divinity, a lifestyle with its own rules, a community with a shared purpose, redemption or reward at the final point of arrival. Turner and Turner (1978, in Bowman, 2017, p.292) claim that ‘…pilgrimage is exteriorized mysticism’; however, we cannot easily accept this if we also allow for the secular expressions of pilgrimage. These secular experiences do not easily map onto the mystical journey into self, soul, or divinity, but nevertheless they provide opportunities for meaning, community, and freedom, and clearly demonstrate the enduring popularity of pilgrimage, whatever the tradition or social structure from which it springs, as a method of finding meaning and direction in a complex world.
[Podcasts] #She Too A seven-part podcast series exploring some of the texts that include violence against women in the Bible.
1960s
a level
A Report into Anti-Sikh Hate Crimes
[Reports] A Report into Anti-Sikh Hate Crimes The All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs 2020 [sikhi sikhism hate crime discrimination]
A Report on the State of Hinduism in Religious Education in UK Schools
[Reports] A Report on the State of Hinduism in Religious Education in UK Schools Insight UK 2021 [hinduism religious education]
A spiritual revolution? Wicca and religious change in the 1960s
[Online Courses] A spiritual revolution? Wicca and religious change in the 1960s This free course looks at the 'crisis' of traditional religion in the Sixties in the Western world. It explores the process of religious renewal, looking at the development of Wicca, the prototypical form of modern Paganism. [wicca 1960s paganism]
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
[Figures] A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada [stub iskcon hinduism vaishnavism bhakti]
About the project Understanding Religion is a website aimed at providing easy access to information about the study of religion. Always free, written clearly for a wide audience, grounded in academic study and supported by references for those who want to dive deeper.
abuse
[Websites] Access to Insight A freely available compendium of translations from the Pali Canon, along with a selection of other Theravada Buddhist texts. [buddhism theravada pali canon suttas]
africa
[Scholars] Agnieszka Halemba
[Texts] Ahadith The ahadith are texts containing reported stories about Muhammad, and are frequently used to fill in details about the life of the prophet; they also provide guidance on points not directly addressed by the Qur'an. [islam stub]
[Traditions] Ahmadiyya Muslim Community [islam stub]
[Figures] Ahura Mazda The supreme deity in Zoroastrianism. [zoroastrianism deities stub]
[Concepts] Akashic records The Akashic records are a non-physical storehouse of information, proposed by Theosophists to contain a record of all thoughts, words, and actions in the past and future. [stub]
[Figures Scholars] Alan Watts [stub]
[Figures] Allah The supreme deity in Islam. [islam deities stub]
[Perspectives] Alternative Perspectives Alternative perspectives, due to their absence in mainstream texts and dismissal by historical scholars, are sometimes difficult to hear over the sound of traditional narratives – but this is increasingly changing for the better.
alternative religion
american religion
[Podcasts] An A-Z of Believing From Atheism to Zealotry, join Dr Ed Kessler, for a 26-week crash course on religion and society.
[Youtube Channels] Angela's Symposium [magic demonology paganism occultism]
[Concepts] Animism Animism is a term based on the Latin word for 'soul', which frames all religious belief in terms of how it imbues the natural world with agency and personality, but more recent scholarship has developed this understanding to focus more on the relationships and responsibilities which typically define animist perspectives. [indigenous]
animism
anthropology
antisemitism
Antisemitism: From Its Origins to the Present
[Online Courses] Antisemitism: From Its Origins to the Present Join 50 leading scholars in exploring antisemitism, from its roots to its contemporary forms. [antisemitism hate]
arabia
art
Articles
[Practices] Austerities A category of difficult, often painful, practices which may include restricting intake of food or water, or engaging in challenging rituals. [stub]
Authors Contribitors and editors.
[Entheogens] Ayahuasca A drink prepared by indigenous groups in the Amazon, containing a number of psychoactive chemicals. It is often used in groups to facilitate healing, visions, and insight. [dmt shamanism indigenous religion]
BASR 2020 Worldviews in RS and RE Panel
[Videos] BASR 2020 Worldviews in RS and RE Panel [religious studies religious education]
[Websites] BBC Bitesize BBC [religious studies religious education]
[Websites] BBC Teach BBC [religious studies religious education]
[Books] Be Love Now Ram Das 2010 [hinduism yoga]
[Concepts] Belief Religious systems often include beliefs about the world (both seen and unseen), which describe (or dictate) how the world operates. Subscribing to a set of beliefs (orthodoxy) is not always essential for belonging to a religion.
[Texts] Bhagavad Gita A popular Hindu text, part of the larger Mahabharata, which contains a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. [stub hinduism]
bhakti
bias
biography
[Places] Blaauboschkraal stone ruins A series of stone circles in South Africa. [megaliths south africa stub]
[Places] Bodh Gaya The site of Buddha's enlightenment. [buddhism stub]
[Figures] Bodhisattva A figure in Buddhist traditions who is on the path to enlightenment. [buddhism mahayana theravada]
Books
Books A collection of pages, organised around themes and topics, free to use and share.
[Figures] Brahma The Hindu deity of creation. [stub deities]
[Figures Concepts] Brahman A Hindu deity and philosophical principle, viewed by some as the supreme reality, or by others as the creative effulgence of another deity. [deities]
[Figures] Brahmin A Hindu holy person, often officiates ceremonies. [stub]
britain
British Journal of Religious Education
[Journals] British Journal of Religious Education [religious education]
[Traditions] Buddhism Buddhism is a family of traditions which trace their lineage back to a figure known as Siddartha Gautama, a man who discovered a means of escape from the suffering of existence. It is said that he became 'awakened', and this is the meaning of his title: Buddha. [buddhism india china tibet japan]
buddhism
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction
[Books] Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown 1996 Provides a good overview of the essential points of Buddhism. [buddhism]
[Books] Buddhist Yoga Anonymous 1995 A translation of the Sandhinirmochana-sutra (Scripture Unlocking the Mysteries) - a classical sourcebook of Buddhist yoga. [buddhism yoga]
[Traditions] Candomblé [stub]
[Entheogens] Cannabis Cannabis is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical or recreational purposes, however it can also be used for spiritual purposes. [marijuana weed pot herb ganja]
[Traditions] Caodaism Caodaism emerged in Vietnam during the 1920s and based its structure on that of the Roman Catholic Church, but drew its principles and practices from Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Confucianism. [vietnam new religious movements]
[Perspectives] Capitalist Spirituality A term used to describe the use of religious ideas, practices, and materials in the support of capitalist ideologies, for example the promotion of meditation in the workplace in order to boost productivity.
[Scholars] Carl Jung A Swiss psychologist who helped introduce and develop ideas about the human unconscious.
Categories
[Scholars] Catherine Bell An American religious studies scholar who specialised in the study of Chinese religions and ritual studies. [ritual chinese religion china]
[Traditions] Catholicism
catholicism
[Practices Sounds] Chanting A vocal practice in which words or sounds are repeated, either alone or in a group.
Chemically-Induced Visions in the Fourth Book of Ezra in Light of Comparative Persian Material
[Articles] Chemically-Induced Visions in the Fourth Book of Ezra in Light of Comparative Persian Material Vicente Dobroruka 2006 [entheogens]
china
[Occasions] Chinese New Year [china]
chinese religion
[Traditions] Christianity Christians follow the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, a man born around the beginning of the first century in the land which is now Israel. [christianity israel jesus]
christianity
[Places] Church The term 'church' can refer to subtraditions within Christianity, or a place of worship for Christians.
cognitive science
[Perspectives] Cognitive Theories
Commentary Pages These commentaries provide the glue which holds together pages into books.
[Concepts] Community
comparative mythology
comparative religion
Concepts
confucianism
CRPL Seminar 15th October - Buddhist Responses to Sexual Misconduct
[Videos] CRPL Seminar 15th October - Buddhist Responses to Sexual Misconduct [buddhism sex abuse sexual abuse]
[Objects] Crucifix A physical representation of Jesus dying on the cross, used by Christians as a reminder of Jesus's death and resurrection; the crucifix is used in a variety of contexts, often as a focal point within a church.
cubes
[Concepts] Cults One of the key aspects of religion – particularly in public discourse – is the relationship between 'organised religion' and small groups of devotees lead by charismatic individuals, commonly referred to as cults.
culture
[Journals] Culture and Religion [religious education]
deities
demonology
denmark
[Concepts] Dharma The Hindu concept of law, righteousness, or way of life.
[Scholars] Dimitris Xygalatas An anthropologist and cognitive scientist studying ritual and cooperation. [ritual anthropology cognitive science]
discordianism
discrimination
diversity
[Entheogens] DMT A chemical substance that occurs in many plants and animals and which has historically been prepared by various cultures for ritual purposes as an entheogen. [N,N-Dimethyltryptamine]
dmt
[Scholars] Douglas Marshall A scholar of religion and ritual.
[Traditions] Druidry
Early Christians Might Have Been High on Hallucinogenic Communion Wine
[Articles] Early Christians Might Have Been High on Hallucinogenic Communion Wine Ed Prideaux 2020 A discussion on the early use of hallucinogenic chemicals mixed with alcohol to form so-called 'spiked' wine. [entheogens wine]
[Traditions] Eastern Orthodox Church
egypt
[Occasions] Eid-e-Shuja’ Eid-e-Shuja’, also known as Eid-e-Zahra, is a ritual festival observed by most Twelver Shi‘a Muslims. It marks the end of the two-month mourning period after the events of the Karbala massacre, which occurred in 680 AD. [islam]
[Figures] El The name for any god or deity in the ancient Near East, is also the name of specific deities in that region. [deities]
[Figures] Elohim [deities]
[Podcasts] Encounter Encounter is a discussion podcast produced by the Woolf Institute and presented by its Founder Director Dr Ed Kessler, exploring the relationship between religion and society.
enlightenment
Entheogens
entheogens
eris
esotericism
[Practices Food] Eucharist
Experiences
extremism
Figures
fiqh
fnord
Food
ganja
[Texts] Gathas A collection of 17 hymns, believed to have been composed by Zarathustra – the Gathas represent the core of the Zoroastrian liturgy (the Yasna). [zoroastrianism]
gcse
geography
[Places] Glastonbury A town in Somerset, United Kingdom, which acts as a site of pilgrimage for many. [united kingdom somerset pilgrimage christianity pagan]
Governing Religion: Global Challenges and Comparative Approaches
[Online Courses] Governing Religion: Global Challenges and Comparative Approaches Explore the relationship between religions and governments and learn how religions have come to be governed across the world. [diversity]
[Scholars] Graham Harvey
greece
[Places] Gurdwara
[Figures] Guru Amar Das
[Figures] Guru Angad
[Figures] Guru Arjan
[Figures] Guru Gobind Singh
[Figures] Guru Har Krishnan
[Figures] Guru Har Rai
[Figures] Guru Hargobind
[Figures] Guru Nanak
[Figures] Guru Ram Das
[Figures] Guru Tegh Bahadur
[Scholars] Gwilym Beckerlegge
[Figures] Hassan al-Banna Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, is alternately praised as a leading social reformer, and decried as laying the foundations for modern Islamic terrorist groups. [islam egypt]
hate
hate crime
[Concepts] Henotheism Henotheism means the worship and veneration of one god, in a world where many gods exist – for example the worship of Artemis within the Greek Pantheon.
herb
hermeticism
Himalayan Institute Of Yoga Science And Philosophy
[Traditions] Himalayan Institute Of Yoga Science And Philosophy The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy was founded by Swami Rama, and is dedicated to sharing so-called Himalayan Yoga. [hinduism india]
[Books] Hindu Myths Wendy O'Flaherty 1975 A collection of Puranas - stories about Hindu deities and mythological figures. [hinduism india mythology]
[Traditions] Hinduism A diverse range of Indian religious systems, which regard the Vedas as authoritative scripture. [india]
hinduism
Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction
[Books] Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction Kim Knott 1998 [hinduism]
[Books] History of Western Philosophy Bertrand Russell 1946 [philosophy greece catholicism]
[Scholars] Hugh Beattie
[Practices Sounds] Hymns
[Figures] Imam
Improving Religious Literacy: A Contribution to the Debate
[Reports] Improving Religious Literacy: A Contribution to the Debate The All Party Parliamentary Group on Religious Education 2016 [religious education religious literacy]
india
[Books] Indian Philosophy: Volume 1 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 1923 This volume of Radhakrishnan’s two-volume work on Indian philosophy goes into detail on the Rig Veda and Upanishads, Jainism, Buddhism, and the theism of the Bhagavad Gita. [india philosophy buddhism hinduism jainism]
indigenous
indigenous religion
[Podcasts] Inside Fundamentalism Four-part podcast series reflecting on aspects of strictly observed religion.
interfaith
Interfaith Dialogue for Combating Extremism among Young People
[Online Courses] Interfaith Dialogue for Combating Extremism among Young People Explore the role of interfaith education in preventing forms of violent extremism and building resilient communities. [interfaith extremism young people violence]
Interim Report: Religious Education for All
[Reports] Interim Report: Religious Education for All The Commission on Religious Education 2017 [religious education]
interreligious dialogue
[Books] Introducing World Religions Victoria Kennick Urubshurow 2008 A textbook on religious studies, surveying traditions from around the world. [religious studies world religions]
Introduction to Religious Studies
Introduction to Religious Studies Explore the world of religion with this in-depth course and develop a thematic understanding of contemporary religious studies.
Introduction to Religious Studies | Welcome
Introduction to Religious Studies | Welcome
[Figures] Isaiah Shembe
iskcon
[Traditions] Islam A monotheistic tradition that developed during 7th century Arabia, and which traces its roots back to the one god of the Hebrews. [arabia muhammad]
islam
israel
[Traditions] Jainism The Jain religious tradition focuses on liberation from the suffering of rebirth, and in this sense has common ground with its near geographic neighbours - Hinduism and Buddhism. [india]
jainism
[Scholars] James George Frazer
japan
[Figures] Jehovah [deities]
[Places] Jerusalem
[Figures] Jesus The founding figure of Christianity, Jesus was a Jewish mircle-worker and teacher who proclaimed a divine message in the 1st century CE.
jesus
[Scholars] Jonathan Z. Smith
Journals
[Traditions] Judaism
judaism
[Figures] Kabir
[Places] Kanniyakumari A town in southern India, named after Kanya Kumari, a Hindu goddess. Also the site of a memorial to Swami Vivekananda. [india hinduism tamil nadu vivekananda]
[Scholars] Karen Armstrong
[Practices Concepts Food] Kashrut Jewish dietary law.
Keeping it 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion
[Podcasts] Keeping it 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion Aimed at a general audience who want to get to grips with contemporary religious studies, this podcast explores a range of topics, including the concept of religion as category, and the significance of race, gender, and sexuality.
[Practices Sounds] Kirtan
[Figures] Korean Martyrs
[Practices Concepts Food] Kosher Food which is appropriate to eat in Jewish traditions.
[Figures] Krishna
kundalini
[Texts] Lankavatara Sutra
[Figures] Lao Tzu
[Youtube Channels] Let's Talk Religion [islam sufism philosophy religious studies]
[Scholars] Linda Woodhead
[Perspectives] Liquid Religion
[Perspectives] Literary Bias Texts (of all kinds) are controlled and mediated by people, and therefore restrictions can sometimes be made about which texts are preserved and shared, and which are ignored or destroyed. This can lead to an erasure of certain material from a religious tradition, or from the public understanding of that tradition, particularly if the material disagrees with the perspective of those in positions of power. [texts scripture bias]
[Perspectives] Lived Religion
[Podcasts] Living in Harmony The role of music in religious practice and interreligious encounter across the Middle East.
[Texts] Lotus Sutra
Luke Burns Luke Burns is the founder and director of the Online Centre for Religious Studies.
[Occasions] Mabon Mabon is a pagan festival that takes place on the autumnal equinox, during which foods are harvested and thanks is given to the Earth.
[Occasions] Maghi This is an annual festival commemorating the forty Sikh martyrs who originally deserted Guru Gobind Singh, but later returned to fight alongside him at Muktsar.
magic
magic mushrooms
[Texts] Mahabharata
mahayana
[Traditions] Mahayana Buddhism A form of Buddhism which is focused on attaining liberation for all beings out of compassion for the suffering of the world. [buddhism india]
Main Pages Information about the site.
[Places] Mandir
[Practices Sounds] Mantra
marijuana
[Scholars] Marion Bowman Marion Bowman is a scholar of religion at the Open University
[Scholars] Mary Douglas A British anthropologist, known for her writings on human culture and symbolism, whose area of speciality was social anthropology. [culture symbolism anthropology]
[Perspectives] Material Religion
material religion
meaning
[Places] Mecca
media
[Practices] Meditation
megaliths
[Entheogens] Mescaline Cacti
[Scholars] Mircea Eliade
[Figures] Mohandas Gandhi A figure of Indian independence against British rule, Gandhi was a revered Hindu activist. [hinduism india]
[Concepts] Monotheism
[Places] Mosque
[Figures] Muhammad Muhammad is the revered prophet of Islam, who was active during the 6th Century in Arabia.
muhammad
[Objects] Murti Used by Hindus, a murti is a physical representation of a deity, which that deity can inhabit, and through which the deity is worshipped. [hinduism]
muslims
Muslims in Britain: Changes and Challenges
[Online Courses] Muslims in Britain: Changes and Challenges Develop your understanding of Muslims and their faith through an exploration of communities in Britain. [islam muslims britain united kingdom]
mystic
mysticism
myth
mythology
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
[Places] Nabta Playa An ancient North African megalith. [megaliths]
[Podcasts] Naked Reflections Reflecting on recent science news stories and current events, authoritative thinkers unpack the implications for society.
[Scholars] Nancy Ammerman
nature
[Traditions] Nazareth Baptist Church
[Figures] Neem Karoli Baba
nepal
[Perspectives] New Animism
new religious movements
[Texts] New Testament
[Podcasts] New Testament Review Influential works of New Testament scholarship discussed by two Duke PhD candidates.
new year
[Scholars] Ninian Smart Smart was a Scottish writer and educator who developed the field of academic religious studies, and helped to distance it from theology. He took the investigation away from which religion was 'true', and instead looked at the lived experiences of religious adherents. [phenomenology religious studies]
nordic animism
[Podcasts] NT Pod Podcast about the New Testament and Christian Origins. Condensed comment from an academic perspective for everyone interested in historical approaches to the New Testament. By Mark Goodacre, Frances Hill Fox Professor of Religious Studies, Duke University.
Objects
[Occasions] Obon A Japanese celebration of people's ancestors, which developed out of Buddhist and Confucian traditions. [japan buddhism confucianism]
Occasions
occult
occultism
[Texts] Old Testament
Online Courses
order
pagan
paganism
Pages All pages, all categories
pali canon
[Concepts] Panpsychism The belief that the universe is one, collective intelligence or consciousness.
[Concepts] Pantheism The belief that everything is god.
[Figures] Paramahansa Yogananda
[Scholars] Pascal Boyer
Perspectives
[Perspectives] Phenomenology
phenomenology
philosophy
[Practices] Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is a practice of journeying to a significant location, but the location, method of travel, and meaning attached can vary widely. There is often a close relationship, or even overlap, with tourism.
pilgrimage
place
Places
Podcasts
[Concepts] Polytheism Polytheism is any system of belief involving multiple deities.
pot
[Practices] Practice Religious practices are those behaviours and actions that have religious meaning for those who perform them; there are many different types and examples of such practices, including pilgrimage to holy sites (such as the tomb of Imam Husayn for Shi'ite Muslims), prayer, and song – to name a few.
Practices
[Practices] Prayer
[Figures] Priest
[Texts] Principia Discordia The Principia Discordia is a semi-satirical work on the nature of divine chaos. [discordianism eris fnord stub]
[Entheogens] Psilocybin Mushrooms [magic mushrooms shrooms cubes]
psychology
[Books] Psychology and Religion G. S. Spinks 1963 A detailed review of the psychological study of religion, touching on the theories of Freud and Jung, and exploring the psychology of prayer, worship, and mystical experiences. [psychology]
punjab
Questions
[Texts] Quran
radicalisation
[Figures] Ram
[Figures] Ram Dass
[Occasions] Ramadan Ramadan is the period of fasting and contemplation undertaken by Muslims in the ninth lunar month of the year. [islam]
[Texts] Ramayana The Ramayana (literally Rama's travels) is about the character Rama, prince of a kingdom called Ayodhya (and later its king), but Rama is actually the god Vishnu who has taken birth in a human form, or avatar. [hinduism india]
[Traditions] Rastafari Movement
[Traditions] Ravidassia religion A tradition with roots in Sikhi, which reveres Ravidass as Guru. [sikhi]
[Figures] Regina Jonas
[Podcasts] Rejected Religion Discussions on religious topics typically viewed as alternative, forbidden, or heretical. [religious studies hermeticism occult esotericism alternative religion]
[Online Courses] Religion and Conflict Understand and analyse the role of religion in conflicts and peacebuilding in present-day societies, with this free online course. [violence terrorism]
Religion and Worldviews: the way forward. A national plan for RE
[Reports] Religion and Worldviews: the way forward. A national plan for RE The Commission on Religious Education 2018 [religious education]
[Podcasts] Religion Bites This is a podcast by Malory Nye on the study of religion.
[Youtube Channels] Religion for Breakfast [religious studies]
Religion, Radicalisation, Resilience
[Online Courses] Religion, Radicalisation, Resilience Understand religious radicalisation and violence and learn strategies to build resilience in communities and schools. [violence radicalisation terrorism]
Religions From The Inside: Improving Interreligious Dialogue
[Online Courses] Religions From The Inside: Improving Interreligious Dialogue Explore the value of cooperation between faiths and learn how the five main world religions’ core beliefs relate to each other. [interreligious dialogue]
religious education
religious experience
religious literacy
Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures
[Online Courses] Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures Learn how to better understand the rich and complex ways that religions function in historic and contemporary contexts. [religious literacy]
religious studies
Reports
[Books] Revelations of Divine Love Julian of Norwich 1966 [christianity women mystic mysticism religious experience]
[Scholars] Richard King Co-author of 'Selling Spirituality'
[Practices Concepts] Ritual Some religious practices have specific rules about how they are performed, these practices are sometimes called rituals. There is no hard line between 'religious practice' and 'ritual', but practices with more rules can be described as more ritualistic. [ritual order meaning]
ritual
[Traditions] Rizalism
[Scholars] Robin Horton An English social anthropologist and philosopher, he carried out specialised study in comparative religion which challenged and expanded views in the study of the anthropology of religion. [anthropology philosophy africa indigenous religion magic myth ritual]
[Scholars] Ronald Grimes A ritual theorist who founded the interdisciplinary field of ritual studies. [ritual anthropology american religion media]
[Scholars] Rudolf Otto
[Youtube Channels] Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen [nordic animism denmark animism]
sacred
[Traditions] Santo Daime
[Experiences] Satori An experience of enlightenment within Zen Buddhism. [zen buddhism enlightenment]
Scholars
scripture
[Perspectives] Self-Religion Self-religion is a term used by scholars to describe the modern phenomenon of highly individualised religious practice, which draws from diverse spiritual traditions in order to create a unique form of religion that is acceptable to the individual.
[Concepts] Seva Within the Sikh religion, one of the important practical aspects is seva or selfless service, which takes the form of charitable actions.
[Perspectives] Seven Dimensions of Religion The seven dimensions of religion are a framework for exploring and understanding religion, developed by the Scottish scholar of religion, Ninian Smart. [phenomenology religious studies]
sex
sexual abuse
shamanism
sharia
[Practices] Shechita A form of ritual slaughter in Jewish traditions.
shrooms
[Figures] Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha) The founder of Buddhism. [buddhism india nepal]
[Scholars] Sigmund Freud
sikhi
[Traditions] Sikhi (Sikhism) Sikhi is the name of a religious tradition which emerged in the Punjab, initiated by Guru Nanak, and led by a series of Gurus who acted as divine intermediaries between God and humanity. The final human Guru bestowed spiritual authority onto the community's scriptures and the community itself. [punjab india]
sikhism
[Practices] Singing
[Concepts] Six Articles of Faith Within Islam, there are three aspects which are generally agreed upon - these are islam (submission), iman (faith), and ihsan (perfection). In this article, we're going to focus on iman and see how it is understood in relation to Islam as a religious tradition, but it's clear from this threefold division that faith by itself isn't the whole story. [islam]
SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies: YouTube Channel
[YouTube Channels] SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies: YouTube Channel Run by SOAS University, the Centre of Yoga Studies researches and shares information about yoga practices and history.
social science
somerset
Sounds
Sources Useful articles, books, and online resources.
Sourcetypes
south africa
[Texts] Sri Guru Granth Sahib The Sikh holy text, revered as a guru.
stub
sufism
suttas
[Figures] Swami Vivekananda
symbolism
[Places] Synagogue
[Traditions] Sámi indigenous religion [indigenous]
Tags
tamil nadu
[Texts] Tanakh
[Traditions] Taoism
Terms and Conditions The boring bits...
terrorism
[Podcasts] Text Talks Text Talks provides teachers and students (and anyone else who’s interested) with weekly podcasts and resources based around the GCSE and A Level Syllabuses for Buddhism and Hinduism. [hinduism buddhism religious education gcse a level]
Texts
[Texts Concepts] Texts Although the word 'texts' might imply a written document, the term has a wider scope in the field of religious studies. [texts scripture art material religion]
texts
[Texts] The Bible The Christian holy text, which includes accounts of the creation of the world and God's dealings with humanity.
[Podcasts] The Classical Ideas Podcast The goal of The Classical Ideas Podcast is to empower students with the core knowledge of major world religions to improve citizenship and agency in a diverse society.
The Database of Religious History
[Websites] The Database of Religious History The world’s first comprehensive online quantitative and qualitative encyclopedia of religious cultural history.
The Faith and Belief Forum: Podcast
[Podcasts] The Faith and Belief Forum: Podcast Produced by the Faith and Belief Forum, an organisation dedicated to building good relations between people of different identities.
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion
[Books] The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion James George Frazer 1922 [comparative religion mythology]
[Books] The Indian Theogony Sukumari Bhattacharji 1970 A work on comparative mythology, focusing on Indian deities and mythologies - particularly with reference to the triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. [hinduism india comparative mythology]
The International Church of Cannabis
[Traditions] The International Church of Cannabis The International Church of Cannabis is a religious group based in Denver, Colorado, USA, which uses cannabis during its ceremonies in order to help members have a better understanding of themselves. [stub entheogens]
The Journal of Religion, Nature and Culture
[Journals] The Journal of Religion, Nature and Culture [religious studies social science cognitive science nature]
[Books] The Last Days of Socrates Plato 1954 A collection of Plato's writings, centered around the life and death of Socrates, including Euthyphro, The Apology, Crito, and Phaedo. [greece philosophy]
[Books] The Life of Milarepa Rechung 1928 An abridged version of Evans-Wentz’s translation, telling the life story of the Tibetan Buddhist monk Milarepa. [tibet buddhism biography]
The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast
[Podcasts] The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast A weekly philosophy podcast inspiring and supporting students, teachers, academics, and free-thinkers worldwide.
[Texts] The Pañcadaśī The Pañcadaśī is a Hindu philosophical text, in the tradition of advaita vedanta, also known as non-dualism. [hinduism vedanta]
[Podcasts] The RE Podcast [religious education]
The Religious Experience of Mankind
[Books] The Religious Experience of Mankind Ninian Smart 1969 A comprehensive survey of religious experiences from around the world. [comparative religion]
[Podcasts] The Religious Studies Project The Religious Studies Project (RSP) is an international collaborative enterprise producing weekly podcasts and resources on the social-scientific study of religion.
[Podcasts] The Sacred Listen to Theos in conversation, and interviewing other thought leaders, about Christianity and faith in the world today.
The Science of Self-Realization
[Books] The Science of Self-Realization A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 1977 A collection of essays on Vaishnavite devotional yoga, or bhakti. [bhakti yoga vaishnavism iskcon]
[Books] The Serpent Power Sir John Woodroffe 1918 An introduction to the concept of laya yoga, along with translations of two Sanskrit works - the Sat-Chakra-Nirupana and the Paduka-Pancaka. [yoga kundalini hinduism india]
The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction
[Online Courses] The Sharia and Islamic Law: An Introduction Discover Sharia and Islamic law, and learn more about some of the diverse roles they play in Muslim life. [islam sharia fiqh]
The Study of Religion: An Introduction to Key Ideas and Methods
[Books] The Study of Religion: An Introduction to Key Ideas and Methods George D. Chryssides and Ron Greaves 2007 [religious studies world religions]
[Books] The Upanishads Anonymous 1965 Mascaró presents a selection of the Hindu Upanishads in English translation. [hinduism]
The Varieties of Religious Experience
[Books] The Varieties of Religious Experience William James 1902 Published at the beginning of the twentieth century, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a far-ranging exploration of the psychology and philosophy behind different kinds of religious experiences. [religious studies world religions religious experience]
[Perspectives] The World Religions Paradigm When the category of religion is used to describe 'world religions', it is often in a way that turns multiple diverse traditions, philosophies, and practices, into one single entity for the sake of simplicity. [religious studies]
[Books] Theogony and Works and Days Hesiod 1988 [greece mythology]
theravada
[Traditions] Theravada Buddhism Theravada is a form of Buddhism that venerates the Buddha but does not deify him, follows the teachings of the old scriptures (the Pali Canon), and values the aspirational figure of the arhat. [buddhism india]
[Figures] Thomas Aquinas
tibet
[Texts] Torah
Traditions
trees
[Practices] Trimarga The trimarga are three methods of liberation found within Hindu traditions.
[Concepts] Trimurti
[Concepts] Trinity The so-called 'holy trinity' is a Christian formulation of the order or structure of god, comprised of the father, the spirit, and the son.
[Occasions] Tu BiShvat A Jewish holiday occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, the 'new year of the trees'. [new year trees judaism israel]
[Traditions] Umbanda
Understanding Religion
united kingdom
[Texts] Upanishads
[Traditions] Vaishnavism
vaishnavism
[Traditions] Vajrajana Buddhism
vedanta
[Texts] Vedas
Videos
vietnam
violence
vivekananda
[Traditions] Wana people [indigenous]
Websites
weed
[Scholars] Wendy Doniger
[Questions] What is religion? Although at first glance, you might think that religion is an easy to understand concept - it becomes very difficult to pin down, the more you look at it. There are lots of possible definitions, but none of them are 100% right.
[Questions] What is religious literacy? Religious literacy is a term that has become more popular in recent years, but what exactly do we mean when we talk about it? [religious studies religious literacy]
[Questions] What is religious studies? Religious studies is the academic study of religion - but what does that really mean? [religious studies]
[Questions] What makes a place sacred? To claim that a location, structure, or geographical feature is sacred is to assert that it is set apart and regarded with special reverence, yet there are many ways to understand this sacrality, where it comes from, and how it is expressed by different groups of people. [sacred place geography]
[Questions] Who creates religion? The modern study of religion, beginning in the 19th Century, has been traditionally driven by male European scholars, who have carried their own cultural biases and assumptions - some unconscious, others less so. [religious studies]
Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy, Culture and Diversity
[Online Courses] Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy, Culture and Diversity A free online course from the Open University, exploring the importance of religious literacy. [religious studies religious literacy]
[Traditions] Wicca
wicca
wine
[Podcasts] Wise Studies Podcast
women
[Podcasts] Woolf Research What's the leading research in the field of religion and society? And how are we contributing to it?
world religions
worldviews
Worldviews in Religious Education
[Reports] Worldviews in Religious Education Theos Think Tank 2020 This report interprets and develops the idea of worldview and explores its implications for the classroom. [religious education]
Worldviews in Religious Education launch
[Videos] Worldviews in Religious Education launch This is a recording of 'What are worldviews and why should schools teach them?' on 21st October 2020. [religious education]
Worldviews: A Multidisciplinary Report
[Reports] Worldviews: A Multidisciplinary Report Céline Benoit, Timothy Hutchings and Rachael Shillitoe 2020 As part of the Worldview Project, the REC commissioned a multidisciplinary academic literature review on the worldview concept. This was prepared by three academics working in different disciplines in different universities. [worldviews religious education]
[Practices] Worship
[Traditions] Yazidism Yazidism is a monotheistic tradition, which believes that the universe was created by a single deity, Xwedê, and is governed by seven angels.
[Figures] YHWH
[Practices] Yoga
yoga
Yoginī temples and their antecedents: reassessing the textual evidence
[Videos] Yoginī temples and their antecedents: reassessing the textual evidence A live recording of an online talk and Q+A via zoom on 21st October 2020 for the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies. [yoga]
young people
Youtube Channels
zen
[Figures] Zoroaster
[Traditions] Zoroastrianism
zoroastrianism
[Scholars] Émile Durkheim