Date of Award
Spring 4-11-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Religious Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Kathryn McClymond
Second Advisor
Dr. Molly Bassett
Third Advisor
Dr. David Bell
Abstract
Despite its nearly thousand year history as a Christian penitent ritual, the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage has undergone rapid transformation in the last three decades, attracting a specific community of people who see themselves as “authentic” Camino pilgrims. Upon arrival at the shrine of Santiago, the traditional end of the pilgrimage route, many pilgrims express feelings of dissatisfaction. Drawing upon field research and interviews, this paper analyzes the practices of pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago route, at the shrine in Santiago de Compostela, and at the alternative conclusion site in the Galician coastal town of Finisterre. I argue that pilgrim dissatisfaction relates to pilgrim experiences in Santiago that are incongruous with their pilgrimage up until that point. In response, pilgrims have created alternative ritual conclusions that more closely relate to their experience on the Camino route and affirm their identity as “authentic” pilgrims.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/8508471
Recommended Citation
Van Holm, Clare, "Embodied Contestation: Alternative Ritual Conclusions on the Camino de Santiago." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2016.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/8508471