Monday, November 14, 2022

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 14th of November, 2022. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Hey- it’s Monday, so let’s head to the mailbag. Today’s question comes from Vianey in Katy, Texas.

Let’s get Katy, Texas, out of the way first. So- here are two things I read that were fascinating. It’s where the Catt family was arrested- a seemingly normal family of three that became bank robbers after their mom and wife died. Wild story. Also, it’s where Rene Zelwegger is from. I really thought she was British for some reason. Nope. Ok- the question:

“What is the history behind Christian pilgrimages? I recently learned about the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route. I was so intrigued by the fact that people would make such a long journey to see James's relics. Why did this become such a popular practice in the Middle Ages? The Scriptures refer to God's people as sojourners and exiles and we see Jewish people making pilgrimages to Jerusalem for feast days. Is this where this practice comes from?”

This a great question and one of the defining features of Christianity for a long time, with ironically no scriptural support. Let’s break down the word first. Pilgrim comes to us from the Latin- peregrinus; you can break that down as “per,” meaning “through,” and “ager,” meaning field or land (like agriculture). So it is going through a land. The Latin was used in Jerome’s Vulgate to replace the Hebrew word “gar,” which is used 92 times in the Old Testament- first Abraham being told his descendants would be “gar” or “peregrinus”- strangers or sojourners.

It’s used twice in the New Testament- once in Luke 24 when one of the men on the road to Emmaus, not recognizing Jesus, asks him if he is a “peregrinus” or “visitor” to Jerusalem.

We see it again in Hebrews 11:9 when Abraham is called a sojourner.

Ok. The practice does have roots in the Old Testament requirements to come to the temple- to visit that holy site. Of course, once it is destroyed in 63 AD, there is no longer a temple- and for Christians, in John 2, Jesus proclaims that he is the temple and where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, He is present. So… why have pilgrimages been popular for so long?

The story starts with Constantine in the 300s when he makes Christianity a legal religious option in the Empire, and his mother, St. Helena, goes to the Holy Land to search for the Holy Sites. She is said to have found the true cross of Jesus, the Holy Sepulcher, etc. a famous story is also told of St. Paula, a friend of St. Jerome who went to the Holy Land and had her faith strengthened.

With the growth of the Cult of Saints, there is a belief that miracles occur around where their relics are found. Of course, this becomes religious tourism and will be promoted by local officials. Santiago de Compostela is the result of some great marketing by King Alfonso II of Asturias in Spain. In the 800s, the Spanish Christians were battling Spanish Muslims, and when it was said that the bones of St. James were found miraculously, he made it a rallying point to make the region Christian. It stuck and became the most important place a Christian could go outside of Rome and Jerusalem.

Of course, there are elements of asceticism- denying yourself, doing something hard in making a pilgrimage to a faraway site. As many in the West began to see grace as a substance, it was believed that these relics emanated sanctifying grace to those in proximity. And, of course, the Crusades were billed as a pilgrimage to take back the Holy Land and to make it a safe place for more Christians to take a pilgrimage to.

And think of the literature highlighting a pilgrimage- from the Canterbury Tales to the Pilgrim's Progress. Pilgrimages provided for the exchange of cultures and were a primary reason someone lower on the social scale would get to travel. As a Protestant, I don’t see any theological need to visit a place. Still, as a historian, I recognize how important it can be to see historic places to get a sense of what has happened in the past, so perhaps I would use the word tourist instead of pilgrim. Still, I certainly recognize the power and importance of travel when possible.

Thanks, Vianey from Katy. You can write to me at danv@1517.org with your questions.

The Last Word for today comes from the lectionary for today from Ephesians.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 14th of November 2022, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who really thought Bridget Jones's Diary spoke directly to him, as if it was made for him- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man you had at hello- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.