2018 Conference

Individual Paper Presentation

Creating new pilgrimage routes in the US has the potential for transforming and healing the pilgrim, the community, and Earth itself.  There is a growing demand for pilgrimage, and often Americans opt to go abroad where historic routes from northern Spain to Japan can meet their demand.  But why not the US?  There are many reasons why there are relatively few routes in the US, but many of those reasons no longer hold.  Changes in demographic characteristics and in religious and spiritual practice make this an opportune time. Pilgrims around the world are putting more emphasis on the journey rather than the destination, and the experiential aspects over the doctrinal. Pilgrimage routes in the US could be developed in innovative ways that address both spiritual and environmental considerations.  Such routes could minimize the environmental impact and could actually restore and preserve ecosystems by creating wildlife corridors, incorporating green cemeteries, using low carbon transportation, along with a variety of other techniques and design strategies.  Such ‘green’ routes could attract a wide range of individuals from a variety of religious and non-religious perspectives.