Pilgrimage in Latin America: (Contributions to the Study of Anthropology) [Hardcover]

N. Ross Crumrine (Editor), Alan Morinis (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313261105 | ISBN-13: 978-0313261107 | Publication Date: February 28, 1991

In every region of Latin America, there are sacred shrines that draw tens of thousands of pilgrims. At present, most of these pilgrimages are overtly Catholic, but the roots of the contemporary practice are numerous: European Christian, indigenous pre-Columbian, African slave, and other religious traditions have all contributed to Latin American pilgrimage. This book explores the historical development, range of diversity, and the structure and impacts of this widespread religious practice. This volume, among the first to focus on pilgrimage in Latin America in general, creates a general framework for understanding Latin American pilgrimage. Although the contributors' focus is predominantly anthropological, analytical perspectives are drawn from numerous disciplines, including archaeology, geography, and religious and literary history. This diversity reflects the fact that pilgrimage is a multifaceted institution that incorporates geographical, social, cultural, religious, historical, literary, architectural, artistic, and other dimensions. It is this complexity that is responsible for the previous general neglect of the study of pilgrimage by scholars. The interdisciplinary collaboration that characterizes this volume is one of the most sensible ways to investigate pilgrimages. All of the essays in this book treat pilgrims, the pilgrimage center, the ritual performances, and the audience as major components, and examine the interrelationships among these dimensions. This volume will interest anthropologists, sociologists of religion, and others interested in aspects of religious practices.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

N. ROSS CRUMRINE is Full-Professor of Anthropology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia.

ALAN MORINIS is a filmmaker in Canada and is currently editing a collection entitled Sacred Journeys: The Anthropology of Pilgrimage.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (February 28, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313261105
• ISBN-13: 978-0313261107
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,153,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)