At pilgrimage sites and religiously sacred places
there is an opportunity to purchase souvenirs and mementos to remember ones
experience of the sacred site. For example, at the Vatican, Cathedral of Notre
Dame, the Wailing Wall and the Duomo in Milan, one can purchase nativity sets, ceramics,
statues, books, art and the list continues. As a result, religion becomes marketed and can
be viewed as a commodity and an entity to be bought and sold. In her article, “Understanding
Glastonbury as a site of Consumption,” Bowman examines the case of the pilgrimage
site of Glastonbury which is known as the place where Christianity began, where
Jesus himself came and where some Christians believe the second coming of Jesus
will occur (Bowman, 2012). Some religious individuals believe that the purchase
of the religious items takes something that is sacred and pure and turns it
into a profane material good. On the other hand, some view the purchase of
these goods as “reminders and tangible channels of connection with the sacred experience”
or as helping with the upkeep of the pilgrimage or the place of worship,
similar to giving a donation (Bowman, 2012). However, with donations nothing
tangible is given in return and ones experience to the sacred sites should be
about the feelings and memories acquired during the time spent there instead of
a tangible object purchased there. However, McDonnell tells one to understand
the consumption of religion as, “people create and maintain spiritual ideals
through the exchange of goods and the construction of spaces” (as cited in
Bowman, 2012). When one purchases the religious objects it is not simply about
buying something but is a sacred and holy act with a spiritual connection. While
reading this article, I began to see that the material consumption of religion
does not necessarily reduce the spirituality or sacredness of it. However, I
have to wonder about how certain pilgrimage sites such as the Vatican allow all
faiths but sites such as Mecca only allow Muslims; is this for the purpose of
attempting to keep it more sacred and to reject the commercialization that may
occur, such as becoming a tourist destination instead of a sacred site?
Source: Bowman M. 2012. Understanding Glastonbury as a Site of Consumption. In Lynch
G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion,
Media and Culture: A Reader. 11-22. London and New York: Routledge.
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