Abstract
Until now, there has been little comprehensive study of the beginnings of Christian pilgrimage. This thesis investigates the contribution of cultural memory, biblical narrative and the perceived sacredness of place to such beginnings. What drove the early Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land? Was it a response to cultural memory and the living out of the biblical narrative in a sacred place? Is Christian memory inescapably bound to place? The sociologist Maurice Halbwachs investigated the practice, and he referred to the fourth-century diary of the pilgrim, Egeria. In the present study, the perspective of cultural memory and the biblical narrative act as methodological tools.Greek religion, processions and visits to martyrs’ tombs are discussed as cultural memory precedents. The tombs are assessed in the light of those in the Old and New Testaments, and the power that they were believed to possess. Egeria’s diary is considered as a major source of information on early Christian pilgrimage within the context of cultural memory and the biblical narrative. Such data has demonstrated that such memory and narratives were a driving force behind early Christian pilgrimage.
The concept and experience of a sacred place are important elements springing from the Greek and Roman world, but the key difference lies in the memory of written texts: Christian scripture. Christian pilgrimage is then not just a simple continuation of Greek and Roman ‘processions’ or even travel to sacred shrines, but something fundamentally new, synthesizing different types of cultural memories.
In this study, the relationship between the communal experience of remembering and the beginnings of Christian pilgrimage within the cultural milieu of the fourth century is explored. I propose that an understanding of fourth-century pilgrimage will enhance our current views on Christian pilgrimage in general. The activities and beliefs of those first pilgrims hold the key to such an understanding. The results of my investigations into the relationship between cultural memory, narrative and place can be developed further in the future along fresh trajectories.
Date of Award | 1 Jun 2023 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Joan Taylor (Supervisor) & Ioannis Papadogiannakis (Supervisor) |