Shiffting Spaces
Featured Men Undertaking the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage: Exploring Religious/Spiritual Components and Life-passage Issues in the Third-age View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Russell Hoban
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route that leads to the shrine of the apostle St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. As both a space and an activity, it has always represented an evolving reflection of religious practices and human needs. Even today, it serves these purposes, although with varying degrees of emphasis on subjective spiritualities and the needs of different groups. The focus of my doctoral research is to explore the current utilization of the Camino by a specific cohort of present-day pilgrims defined by age and gender, aiming to identify commonalities in their beliefs. My paper examines how the Camino functions as (1) a rite of passage and a site of transition, (2) holds an anthropological link through the use of ethnographic method and methodologies of movement, and (3) has elements of a psychological investigation, given that life transitions often require coping and management strategies, of which undertaking a pilgrimage is one expression. Furthermore, my doctorate investigates religious transformation and the ways in which new forms of religiosity manifest. Sociologists have recognized the third age (50-74 years old) as a transitional phase in life. By focusing on this age group, my research delves into how the Camino pilgrimage supports men navigating their life passage issues and how they interpret various aspects of their experiences through the lens of subjective religiosity. Although my thesis is framed within ritualistic and identity theories, the study employs a fieldwork methodology centered around movement, which serves as the foundation for this paper.
From Germany to Mount Zion: Christian Students' Sojourn in Jerusalem View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Christine Bohlander
My paper is about my ethnographic research on the transformational experience of German Catholic and Protestant Theology students who studied for eight months at the Benedictine Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. I spent the first five and the last two weeks with the students in their residence and shared their meals and some social activities and accompanied them on trips e.g. to Bethlehem. My interest was not so much in the curriculum but in how their environment shaped them. My findings are based on fieldnotes, student and alumni interviews and written accounts of students. The students’ journey away from the comfort of studying theology within their own denominations in Germany to the uncertainty of a bewildering liminal space in the Holy Land which is contested among the three Abrahamic religions led to an experience that was both fascinating and uncomfortable. Living in Jerusalem was also an embodied learning experience that they felt with all their senses and that was more transformational than the curriculum. Another emerging theme was the importance of living and studying together as an ecumenical community. The students were not immersed in either the Jewish or the Muslim societies but felt that they lived in a bubble. The discussions within this close-knit community had a big impact on shaping their own denominational identities. I apply several educational theories to make sense of the complexities of my findings. These include the Threshold Concept Framework, the spatial and corporeal turns and the Communities of Practice framework.
Spirituality and Violent Crisis Manifested on the Tattooed Body: A Mexican Migrant in Denmark View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maja Balle
This paper explores the dynamic interplay between religion, migration, and the decorated body through the narrative of Juan, a Mexican migrant in Denmark. Departing from this singular story, I argue that expressions of spirituality through the adorned body offer general insights into the complex intersections of globalization, identity formation, reinterpretations of sacred narratives, religious pluralism, and the movement between Latin America and a secular state like Denmark. Having endured significant loss and isolation at a young age, Juan found solace in religion, particularly through occultism, introduced to him by a supportive community in Mexico City. Facing threats and harassment from local gangs, Juan's involvement in this spiritual community provided him with a sense of belonging. However, Juan’s engagement with spirituality was also marked by challenges, including a violent fight resulting in a stabbing and the killing of a close friend. Juan’s migration to Denmark represents a new chapter in his spiritual voyage, where his body comes to serve as a canvas for expressing his beliefs and seeking protection through tattoos adorned with occult symbols and runes. Juan’s embrace of ancient Nordic and Aztec cosmologies reflects a nuanced negotiation of cultural influences and personal experiences. Juan’s utilization of divinatory tools underscores the adaptive nature of spirituality in navigating life's uncertainties, including grappling with mental trauma stemming from a tumultuous past. Through Juan’s story, the paper illuminates the multifaceted ways in which religion shapes the experiences and expressions of migration and how emerging forms of embodied spirituality can mediate trauma.
