Judith Schumacher-Stahl

Contemporary Phenomenon of Pilgrimage: An Empirical Study of Religious-Spiritual Experiences in the Context of Digital Media

The dissertation in Practical Theology refers to the field of religious phenomenology and empirical theology. It explores religious spiritual experiences within the context of the contemporary phenomenon of pilgrimage. Categorically, it is a qualitative empirical study that deals with the phenomenon of pilgrimage on a synchronous level and is in dialogue with various disciplines of the Social and Cultural Sciences. The first part deals theoretically with the concepts of religion and spirituality and links them to the notion of experience in the context of pilgrimage. The second part examines, using empirical methods, the role that religious and spiritual experiences made during pilgrimage play in digital social media, also in comparison to other topics related to pilgrimage. Following the media analysis, the third part revolves around the theoretical and empirical findings on pilgrimage and discusses the religious-theoretical implications of the study. The intention of the project is also to contribute to the discourse by further developing the definition of going on a pilgrimage. The term may remain hybrid and fluid or continues to be debated. Another possible outcome of the dissertation project aims at refining the methodological toolkit in research about pilgrimage.

Key words

Pilgrimage – Empirical Religious Research – Phenomenology – Social Practice – Religious Spiritual Experiences – Media Analysis