Research on pilgrimage has traditionally fallen across a series of academic disciplines - anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, history and theology. To date, relatively little work has been devoted to the issue of pilgrimage as writing and specifically as a form of travel-writing. The aim of the interdisciplinary essays gathered here is to examine the relations of Christian pilgrimage to the numerous narratives, which it generates and upon which it depends. Authors reveal not only the tensions between oral and written accounts but also the frequent ambiguities of journeys - the possibilities of shifts between secular and sacred forms and accounts of travel. Above all, the papers reveal the self-generating and multiple-authored characteristics of pilgrimage narrative: stories of past pilgrimage experience generate future stories and even future journeys. Simon Coleman moved to Sussex University in 2004, having spent 11 years at Durham University as Lecturer and then Reader in Anthropology, and Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health. John Elsner is Senior Research Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a C. S. Lewis Noteworthy book: A rich history of the pilgrim experience, as recorded in real diaries Nearly four hundred years after the pilgrims left England in search of a better life, their stories still resonate with Americans today. In this account, the pilgrims’ own writings of their adventures and hardships are brought to life for young readers. This touching account shows the pilgrims’ voyage on the Mayflower, their first meeting with the native people, and the hardships of hunger, illness, and death that they faced during their first winter. Finally, after more than a year in the New World, they celebrate the harvest and truly give thanks.

Marie Maccagno is passionate about walking, the great outdoors, and chocolate. In the spring of 2009, she made a commitment to walk 800 kilometers through Spain in the hopes she could eat all the chocolate she could find. What she didn’t expect to find was herself. A walk that long gives a person a lot of time to think. Marie’s mind dished out big lessons around forgiving her mother, entertaining the idea of possibly leaving her husband, and honoring herself as a parent. One step at a time is how Marie completed the Camino de Santiago and learned to love herself after all the years of inner self-hate. ******** "I can choose my own path: that’s what Marie’s journey has taught me. Her words will transport you to a place where you know you can choose too -- and that’s a rare gift. When you read her book, you will be so glad you walked this path with her!" Michele Gunderson, Ph.D., Best-selling author and Breakthrough Story Expert "Marie’s book took me on a journey of her very personal quest - and I recognized myself in her story: difficult family relationships, questions about marriage, and not liking who I am. I am very grateful she did all the walking for me, and chose to share her wisdom in this powerful creative memoir!" Yvonne Basten, Executive Managing Director Calgary, eWomenNetwork Inc

A pilgrim-themed spirituality for Christian formation, Pilgrim Spirituality resources everyday Christianity, congregational life, social outreach, and religious travel through definitional frames of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is a prominent biblical image. Yet, despite its contemporary resurgence, its capacity for Christian formation remains untapped. While our understanding of pilgrimage has been too narrow, we lack a definitional framework that fosters transformational practice. Definitions matter, thought creates possibilities, and intentionality enhances experience. Recognizing pilgrimage as a comprehensive expression of the Christian life, Pilgrim Spirituality provides tools for perceiving spiritual possibilities, engaging situational context, and interpreting lived experience. Espousing both personal and social holiness, Pilgrim Spirituality gives definitional status to the Other, attends to the self, and seeks the presence of God in the facts in which we find ourselves. Pilgrim Spirituality examines Christian concepts of time, place, and journey, while emphasizing the personal, corporate, incarnational, metaphorical, and tensional character of the pilgrim life. Exploring the motives, experiences, and practices of pilgrimage, Pilgrim Spirituality resources readers in their destinational pursuit of the Christian faith: the union of God, self, and the Other.