Remembering and the Creation of Sacred Place: Glastonbury, Anglican Christian Theology, and Identity

What is it about?

This paper seeks to unravel some of the complex issues behind what are termed acts of ‘double remembering’ at Glastonbury, particularly in Anglican Christian thought. The paper will argue that contemporary Christian thinking around acts of pilgrimage are so multivalent and diverse that we cannot simply seek to understand even a fairly small scale issue like Anglican/ Anglo-Catholic pilgrimage to Glastonbury in terms of any general theoretical perspective, but that many conflicted, and often conflicting, acts of remembering which relate to the identity of those involved are being enacted. This exposition is set against the context of contemporary Anglican thinking on pilgrimage, some significant theoretical constructions of pilgrimage, and the Christian and New Age understanding of Glastonbury and its meanings. Some aspects of implicit religion theory will be used to help discuss the issues.

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Why is it important?

It explores a key site in the UK religious scene in relation to the theory and practice of pilgrims, and examines the way that memory plays a key role in the contemporary usage and understanding.