The Pilgrims’ Way

All posts tagged The Pilgrims’ Way

Armchair Pilgrim… reading in readiness

Posted by David Ward on 07/06/2010
Posted in: Books/Articles, Pilgrimage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The world is full of books, and there are quite a few about pilgrimage. These are just a few of those I’ve read, enjoyed and been inspired by.

This is a fairly recent book, the final volume in the well-worth-a-read “The Ancient Practice Series”. For my money it is one of the best books on the subject and has shaped quite a bit of my more recent thinking on ‘life as pilgrimage’. It’s worth reading for the ‘theology of pilgrimage’ articulated in the Preface alone. Not everyone will be comfortable with this book, but there’s a lot of challenge to be found within its pages. Charles Foster, ‘The Sacred Journey, 2010, Thomas Nelson, Nashville

In a completely different vein, Sally Welch walks us through the process of pilgrimage and various stops along the way, with stories from real travellers, relevant quotations and reflections making up each stage. Sally Welch, ‘Making a Pilgrimage’, 2009, Lion Hudson, Oxford

The next two books both try to give a historical and theological look at pilgrimages across a variety of faith traditions, a look at some classic destinations and at some of the classic literature about pilgrimage. Read them cover to cover or just dip into the occasional chapter.

Edward C. Sellner, ‘Pilgrimage…exploring a great spiritual practice’, 2004, Sorin Books, Notre Dame, Indiana

Jim Forest, ‘The Road to Emmaus…pilgrimage as a way of life’, 2007, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York

There are hosts of books that are accounts of actual pilgrimages made by various people for a whole variety of reasons. Shirley De Boulay’s book about her journey to Canterbury along The Pilgrims’ Way was the inspiration for the post before this one.

Douglas Vest’s book gives a number of small snapshots of various pilgrimages, while Gerald Hughes concentrates on just two. Hughes’ account makes for compelling reading and Vest’s book includes questions for reflection at the end of each chapter and a pilgrimage planning checklist at the end of the book.
Douglas Vest, ‘On Pilgrimage’, 1998, Cowley Publications, Cambridge, Boston Massachusetts

Gerard W. Hughes, ‘In Search of a Way’, 1986, DLT, London

The final book is an anthology of various texts written by pilgrims or about pilgrimage down through the ages.
Martin Robinson, ‘Sacred Places, Pilgrim Paths’, 1998, Fount, London

It would be interesting to know about any books you’ve read and enjoyed on the subject.

Pilgrimage…a special encounter?

Posted by David Ward on 23/05/2010
Posted in: Books/Articles, Pilgrimage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

When I was younger I lived in Kent, close to Canterbury, and often walked on stretches of the Pilgrims’ Way which leads from Winchester to Canterbury.

I’m planning to walk part of the route as a continuous pilgrimage this year (finances allowing), and as part of my preparation for this I’m reading some of the accounts of other pilgrims on this route. Shirley De Boulay’s book was in the bibliography of another book on pilgrimage I read recently, so I decided to start with this book. It is an interesting account of the pilgrimage undertaken by a small group of friends in the early 1990s, with some thoughtful bits among the general travelogue.

This particular thoughtful bit caught my attention.

” One of the thoughts which I still could not let go – in fact which was to pursue me to Canterbury and beyond – was the question of whether the divine is more present, more accessible, on pilgrimage than at home. If God was not to be found in some special way on pilgrimage, why do we do it? Yet if he exists at all, he is everywhere and in everyone; there is no need to go on pilgrimage. The evidence in favour of pilgrimage being a way to experiencing God is quite simply us, the pilgrims. But many contrary voices are raised, for instance an unknown Irish author, writing of ‘vain pilgrimage’, said, ‘Coming to Rome, much labour and little profit! The King whom you seek here, unless you bring him with you, you will not find him.’ In like vein an American pilgrim said, ‘I’ve discovered I can meet the risen Lord just as well in Kansas City as I can in Jerusalem.’ Thomas a Kempis was scathing about the pilgrims of his time, observing that ‘Few are made better by sickness, and those who make frequent pilgrimages seldom acquire holiness by so doing.’
But walk we do. Pilgrimage persists. I was beginning to accept that giving outer form to the inner journey is an instinctive response to a deep human need; It is a sort of incarnation.”



Many questions:

  • Does God like pilgrims?
  • Are moving people more likely to meet God than static ones?
  • Could the same things be achieved by contemplation as by pilgrimage…can you do the interior journey without the exterior or are they linked?
  • Pilgrimage as a kind of incarnation…acknowledging we are whole people not just disembodied spiritual ones…
  • Is it worth the physical effort?