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The First Tourists? Helena, Egeria and the Rise of Christian Pilgrimage

Module description

This module looks at the origins of Christian pilgrimage from the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena in the early fourth century through to the establishment of a wholly Christian topography overlaying the Eastern Mediterranean by the end of the sixth century as Christians ‘discovered’ such pivotal sites as the Oak at Mamre and the burning bush of Moses. We will look at how early Christians evolved an itinerary of sacred sites that appropriated earlier religious observances and locations and brought them entirely within the parameters of this new faith. 

The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in Late Antiquity, early Ecclesiastical History, Pilgrimage and Spirituality, Holy Men and Women and many related subjects. No prior experience is necessary, although a reading knowledge of contemporary European languages (especially French, Italian and German) will widen the range of secondary literature open to you.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce you to the evolution of Christian pilgrimage and encourage you to explore the processes by which a physical, geographical location comes to be perceived as intrinsically sacred by believers. You will be encouraged to independently develop versions of early Christian pilgrimage itineraries in order to understand why pilgrims were inspired to undertake such arduous journeys and what they gained from these experiences.

Therefore, as well as teaching you about the history, archaeology, and theological underpinning of Christian pilgrimage, this will also encourage you to explore the subject independently by asking you to research your own itineraries of early Christian sacred space in order to understand the rituals, monuments and experiences of early pilgrims in a wider context.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate advanced understanding of the sacred topography of Late Antique Christianity
• 2. Identify the processes whereby physical locations came to be viewed as intrinsically sacred within the Christian tradition

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Analyse the history and material culture of late antique networks
• 4. Interpret the art and archaeology of early Christian cult sites

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Independently research itineraries and networks using knowledge gained from seminars and personal study.
• 6. Present findings of independent research in a clear manner either orally or in a written context

Syllabus plan

This module will introduce you to the world of early Christian pilgrimage through a mixture of key texts (for example through reading the Travels of Egeria, Theodoret of Cyrrhus’ History of the Monks of Syria and similar literature) and a consideration of key monuments associated with the life of Christ (e.g. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre) or notable saints (e.g. Qalat Seman). From this information you will be asked to develop your own itineraries, based on your understanding of the key sites of Late Antique Mediterranean and Levantine Christian topography and to present these itineraries to other members of the group.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Bruria Bitton-Ashkelony, Encountering the sacred: the debate on Christian pilgrimage in late antiquity, University of California Press 2005
• Paul F. Bradshaw, Egeria: journey to the Holy Land, Brepols 2021
• Emma Loosley Leeming & John Tchalenko (eds), Notes on the sanctuary of St. Symeon Stylites at Qal'at Sim'an, Brill 2019
• Anne McGowan and Paul F. Bradshaw, The pilgrimage of Egeria: a new translation of the Itinerarium Egeriae with introduction and commentary, Liturgical Press 2018
• Adam M. Schor, Theodoret's people : social networks and religious conflict in late Roman Syria, University of California Press 2011

Key words search

Pilgrimage; St Helena; sacred sites; travel; early Christianity