Pilgrimage and England's cathedrals, past and present

《朝圣与英格兰大教堂》采用跨学科视角和方法的开创性结合，识别和分析11世纪至21世纪英国朝圣和圣地的核心动态，评估英国大教堂作为当今圣地/遗产日益增长的重要性，并为这些标志性建筑的管理/公众参与提供信息。在世界范围内朝圣的增长和圣地日益重要的背景下，该项目的创新方法和及时的研究议程也为确定和建立新兴的朝圣研究领域做出了重大贡献。这个项目的核心是对“朝圣”的意义和广度以及过去和现在圣地的作用进行新的、广泛的分析。为什么朝圣在过去很重要，为什么它在今天仍然重要？在探讨这些问题时，该项目将重点放在大教堂的作用上：在这些地方，可以将独特的国家和地方历史和特性、物质文化以及传统和新兴的宗教习俗结合在一起。朝圣是中世纪英国大教堂发展和地位的核心，尽管大多数神殿在宗教改革中被摧毁，但许多容纳它们的大教堂和修道院今天仍然是大教堂，这实际上是由它们过去的朝圣历史塑造的，并保留了强大的朝圣遗产。圣公会大教堂越来越多地关注和修复神殿，反映了一种国际多信仰现象，据估计，全世界每年有2亿人参加朝圣和宗教旅游。英格兰的大教堂是最大、最多样化的人群参观的圣地群。最近的一份报告显示，27%的英国成年人在前一年至少去过一次圣公会大教堂(Theos，2012)。此外，超过40%的访客来自基督教以外的宗教传统或没有宗教信仰。这表明，大教堂被视为受到基督教的塑造，但又超越了基督教，在历史、遗产和文化的背景下，为人们提供了通往精神世界的独特途径，并为所有信仰和没有信仰的人提供了有意义的空间。这些发展需要更全面、更严格、更多学科的调查，以便详细探讨对大教堂、游客和社区的影响。该项目使用4座大教堂，坎特伯雷、约克、达勒姆和威斯敏斯特(选择代表一系列历史、社会、地理、文化和教派背景，以及不同的入场收费政策)作为历史和当代案例研究。研究方法包括建筑与视觉资料分析、档案分析和当代文献分析。访谈、照片/音频日记和参与者观察将被用来收集和检查大教堂工作人员、志愿者、朝圣者、游客和当地居民(无论有没有信仰)的经历和观点。英国大教堂面临多重挑战，因为它们寻求平衡，既要满足会众和朝圣者的需求，又要让更广泛的社区和游客能够进入，并为维护其历史建筑提供资金。该项目洞察了大教堂内和周围空间的历史和当代意义和用途，并分析了精神实践、文化和历史兴趣以及个人、地方和国家归属感之间的具体联系。产出将包括书籍、期刊文章、会议、一个网站和中世纪朝圣者经历的互动动画可视化。调查结果将为一系列学术学科提供信息，加强英国大教堂和其他遗址的游客供应、旅游战略和遗产管理，并提供资源供学校和更广泛的公众使用。

'Pilgrimage and England's cathedrals' employs a ground-breaking combination of interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies to identify and analyse the core dynamics of pilgrimage and sacred sites in England from the 11th to 21st centuries, to assess the growing significance of English cathedrals as sacred/heritage sites today, and to inform management of/public engagement with these iconic buildings. Set against the background of the worldwide growth of pilgrimage and the increasing importance of sacred sites, the project's innovative approaches and timely research agenda also contribute substantially to defining and establishing the emerging field of Pilgrimage Studies. At the heart of this project is a new, wide-ranging analysis of the meaning and breadth of 'pilgrimage' and the role of sacred places past and present. Why did pilgrimage matter in the past and why does it still matter today? In exploring these issues, the project focuses attention on the role of cathedrals: places where, uniquely, national and local history and identity, material culture and traditional and emerging religious practice can be encountered together. Pilgrimage was central to the development and status of English cathedrals in the Middle Ages and although most shrines were destroyed at the Reformation, many of the great churches and monasteries which housed them remain as cathedrals today, literally shaped by their pilgrim past and retaining a strong pilgrimage legacy. Anglican cathedrals are increasingly refocusing on and reinstating shrines, reflecting an international multi-faith phenomenon in which an estimated 200 million people across the world engage in pilgrimage and religious tourism annually.Cathedrals in England are the group of sacred sites visited by the largest, most diverse group of people. A recent report reveals that 27% of adults resident in England visited an Anglican cathedral at least once in the previous year (THEOS, 2012). Moreover, over 40% of those visitors came from faith traditions other than Christianity or had no religious affiliation. This suggests that cathedrals are seen as shaped by, but transcending, Christianity, offering unique access to the 'spiritual' within the context of history, heritage and culture, and providing meaningful spaces for people of all faiths and none. These developments demand fuller, rigorous, multi-disciplinary investigation so that the implications for cathedrals, visitors and communities can be explored in detail. The project uses 4 cathedrals, Canterbury, York, Durham and Westminster (chosen to represent a range of historical, social, geographical, cultural and denominational settings, and varying policies on charging for entry) as historical and contemporary case studies. Research methods include analysis of architectural and visual material, archives and contemporary documents. Interviews, photo/audio-diaries, and participant observation will be employed to gather and examine the experiences and views of cathedral staff, volunteers, pilgrims, tourists and local residents (of all faiths or none). English cathedrals face multiple challenges as they seek to balance meeting the needs of congregations and pilgrims with remaining accessible to wider communities and tourists, and funding the maintenance of their historic buildings. This project provides insight into the historical and contemporary significance and use of spaces in and around cathedrals and analyses the specific connections between spiritual practice, cultural and historic interest, and individual, local and national senses of belonging. Outputs will include books, journal articles, conferences, a website, and an interactive animated visualization of medieval pilgrim experience. Findings will inform a range of academic disciplines, enhance visitor provision, tourism strategies and heritage management in English cathedrals and other sites, and provide resources for use by schools and the wider public.