Description
Book SynopsisLocal-level pilgrimages, when based on strong expressions of faith, can have a much wider local, regional and international appeal. It has been estimated that pilgrims and religious tourists number around 330 million per year, meaning development of these faith identities can help drive destination visitation and regional development. This book explores the central role of ordinary people in the popularisation of faith-based practices, thus illustrating religious tourism as an expression of cultural identity. Focusing on the interrelationship of cultural groups and the overall formation of culture and society, this book: - Uses a range of multidisciplinary, sociological and ethnographic studies to illustrate the evolution of pilgrimage sites and saints. - Includes practical case studies and illustrations of religious tourism and pilgrimage development from a variety of international perspectives. - Provides a selection of discussion questions for each chapter, encouraging readers to engage with further study and investigation of these important issues. An invaluable review of cultural identity and faith, this book delivers to scholars, students and local policy makers a collection of current perspectives on the growth, development and evolution of faith practices surrounding contemporary and historical sites and saints.
Table of ContentsPart 1: From Local to International, the Development of Devotion 1: Introduction: Local Identity and Transnational Cults 2: Continuity from Local Cult to ‘Accepted’ Ritual 3: Developing Pilgrimage Itineraries: The Way of St Francis in Umbria as Case in Point 4: Pilgrimage, Religious Tourism and Heritage in Calabria 5: Fighting for the Saint: Ritual Rivalries in Traditional Pilgrimages Part 2: Popular Pilgrimage Development 6: Chinese Migrations and Pilgrimages around Prato (Italy) and Wenzhou (China) 7: Globalizing Romani Culture: The Pilgrimage to the Sea in Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (France) 8: The Cult of Señor de los Milagros of Peruvians in Italy 9: Cultural Diversity in a Local French Pilgrimage 10: Mixing Sport and Religion in the Landes Area of France 11: An Ethnology of the Foreign Traveller to the Shrine of St Nicholas of Bari, Italy Part 3: Focus on Saint Rita 12: Healing Tourists with Religion: Saint Rita’s Cult in Poland 13: A Transnational Cult: St Rita of Cascia 14: Saint Rita of Cascia: An Evolving Devotion in Dublin’s Inner City 15: Conclusion 16: Discussion Questions
