A Pilgrim’s Point of View on the 2024 Annual Symposium for Pilgrimage Studies
A Pilgrim’s Point of View on the 2024 Annual Symposium for Pilgrimage Studies
by Donna Looney | Norfolk, VA
What is pilgrimage? How is it defined? Who is a pilgrim? Where is pilgrimage? Where do tourism and pilgrimage intersect? Is giving hospitality to immigrants pilgrimage? Can an artist’s series of paintings and sketches be pilgrimage? Can pilgrimage be embodied in performance? Through a lens? On a driving trek across the United States?
The 2024 Annual Symposium for Pilgrim Studies program, “Comparing Pilgrimage: Layers of Meaning and Motion,” considered these questions and more. The November 8-9 event, organized by the College of William & Mary Institute for Pilgrim Studies and held on the William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, VA, was a packed two days full of brilliant and inspirational presenters and challenging topics in a peaceful, scholarly environment. While packed, the schedule left time to reacquaint with old friends and make new ones, with plenty of coffee, tasty box lunches, and a welcome reception.
Concurrent sessions allowed exploration of sub-themes with similar topics grouped into panels. The challenge was choosing which intriguing sessions to attend. Wide-ranging topics included:
- “The Artist and the Way: Meaning, Creativity, and the Camino de Santiago”
- “Restoration and Renewal: Pilgrimage in the United States”
- “Tourism and Pilgrimage”
- “The Rebirth of Pilgrimage Narratives in the Digital Age,” and
- “The Walker’s Foot Before and After a Walking Pilgrimage.”
Dr. Kiran Shinde delivered a fascinating keynote presentation titled “Tourism Thrives Because Pilgrimages Exist: Voices from South Asia.” The closing banquet was marked with the announcements of eight winners of the Institute’s Research Fellowships in Pilgrimage Studies. On Sunday morning, there was a walking workshop. A solid representation of American Pilgrims on the Camino members attended the symposium, and we gathered together for a delightful Sunday brunch generously hosted by American Pilgrims board member Tom Coleman and his wife, Tricia.
The symposium brings international scholars and practitioners together to disseminate cutting- edge research that transcends disciplinary boundaries, examine pedagogical approaches to incorporate pilgrimage studies into university curricula, and share best practices for leading global education programs where students and faculty engage in transformative travel together. While the conference is designed for scholars, anyone interested in world pilgrimage and religious tourism is welcome.
Interested in deepening your understanding of pilgrimage? Mark your calendar for the next symposium planned for November 7-8, 2025. Watch the Institute for Pilgrimage Studies website for coming registration information, draft program, and call for papers.
