Description

Starting from the premise that religion--broadly defined--involves a quest for meaning, Intersecting Journeys seeks to bridge the conceptual dichotomy between pilgrimage as religious travel and tourism as secular journeying. _x000B__x000B_The appeal of sacred sites remains undiminished at the start of the twenty-first century, as unprecedented numbers of visitors travel to Lourdes, Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela. Likewise, locations not conventionally considered shrines, such as Ground Zero or Star Trek conventions, attract visitors in search of links to a collectivity larger than the self. This book's ethnographic analysis of the conflicts over resources and meanings associated with such sites, as well as the sense of community they inspire, provides compelling evidence emphasizing the links between pilgrimage and tourism. _x000B__x000B_