Paper short abstract:

Santiago de Compostela is much more than a Catholic shrine and on the Camino de Santiago one is occasionally made aware of the conflict between Catholicism and New Spirituality. In my poster presentation I will examine some features that make the Camino de Santiago a Catholic pilgrimage.

Paper long abstract:

According to John Eade and Michael Sallnow (2000), it is necessary to view the pilgrimage not merely as a field of social relations but also as a realm of competing discourses.

On the Camino de Santiago one is occasionally made aware of the conflict between Catholicism and New Spirituality. People from both 'camps' sometimes show suspicion of each other. It is not uncommon to hear pilgrims speak disapprovingly of the Catholic Church: "They think they own the Camino". New Age is undeniably very popular among many Santiago pilgrims and several people decide to walk the Camino after reading esoteric Camino-books like The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit by Shirley MacLaine (2000) or The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho (1987).

On my field trips to the Camino I have noticed that both Catholic and non-Catholic pilgrims usually want to take part in the activities offered by the Church. While walking the Camino, pilgrims perform an ancient ritual and thereby accept what comes with it. In a way, for many people it is like going back in time. I have understood that this is how quite a few pilgrims solve the dilemma of not being a church-goer outside the Camino and yet attending pilgrims' mass while on the Camino. In my poster presentation I will examine some features that make the Camino de Santiago a Catholic pilgrimage.