Pilgrimage Centers as Persistent Places: Spiritual Magnetism, Affects, and Atmospheres

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Pilgrimage centers and shrines are persistent places due in large part to spiritual magnetism, defined as the power of a place of pilgrimage to attract devotees. Most scholars, following James Prestons’ original treatment of the term, believe spiritual magnetism comes from and is conferred by humans based on cultural, social, or historical factors or events that are associated with certain places. However, I contend that spiritual magnetism is better viewed as the unique and lasting affective qualities or atmospheres that emerge at a place due to the intermingling of various phenomena, human and otherwise. In this paper, I examine how the intersection of natural features, bodies, objects, substances, memories, and emotions at two famous Christian pilgrimage centers – Lourdes and Santiago de Compostela – generates meaning, power, and efficacy and ultimately is what draws people to these places. Moreover, I suggest that because affective qualities and atmospheres are contextual and ever emergent, these places will remain potent and continue to draw visitors for years to come.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39817.0