IMC 2021: Sessions

The term 'pilgrim' is routinely applied to a wide range of medieval people undertaking a wide range of (normally) spiritual activities: a penitential pilgrim to the Holy Land, an armed crusader, a traveler seeking a cure at a local shrine, or a symbolic life-pilgrim, which all Christians were metaphorically understood to be. And yet, there is a huge gulf between what motivated these individuals, what they are doing, and what they were trying to achieve. Our understanding of what makes a 'pilgrim' a 'pilgrim' is further complicated when we apply the same term to describe Muslims undertaking the Hajj or practicing ziyara, medieval Jewish travellers, and other Christian travellers not within the Latin Christian tradition. This round table discussion will therefore discuss the extent to which the term 'pilgrim' and pilgrimage as concepts in the Middle Ages changed over time, in space, and between religions. Doing so will help us to better understand what these concepts encompass in light of the ever-increasing desire to revive the act of pilgrimage in the contemporary world.

Participants include Anne E. Bailey (University of Oxford), Harry Munt (University of York), and Nicky Tsougarakis (Edge Hill University, Ormskirk).