The Pilgrim Corps Vivant: Closing the Gap Between Foundational Typologies and Non-Locative Pilgrimage Practices – Die Sionpilger by Felix Fabri as Case Study Robin Stanford A Thesis in The Department of Theological Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Theology) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada January 2019 © Robin Stanford, 2019 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Robin Stanford Entitled: The Pilgrim Corps Vivant: Closing the Gap Between Foundational Typologies and Non-Locative Pilgrimage Practices – Die Sionpilger by Felix Fabri as Case Study and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theological Studies) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: _______________________________ Chair Dr. André Gagné _______________________________ Examiner Dr. Gordon Blennemann _______________________________ Examiner Dr. Lucian Turcescu _______________________________ Supervisor Dr. Jean-Michel Roessli Approved by ________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director January 9th 2019 _____________________________________ Dean of Faculty ABSTRACT The Pilgrim Corps Vivant: Closing the Gap Between Foundational Typologies and Non-Locative Pilgrimage Practices – Die Sionpilger by Felix Fabri as Case Study Robin Stanford In this thesis I examine whether the pilgrimage typologies suggested by Victor and Edith Turner (communitas) as well as that of John Eade and Michael Sallnow (contestation) are useful tools for describing and analyzing non-locative pilgrimage practices. As these understandings of pilgrimage are based on locative examples of sacred journeying, there is a risk of them being reduced to pertaining solely to physical travel. I propose a clarification of these typologies using the phenomenological work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, such that pilgrims are best understood as both biological and psychological beings whose perceptions and intellectual functions are not separate, but rather inextricably intertwined. In order to examine whether the typologies are suitable for discussing non-locative pilgrimage, I draw on a historical test case: Die Sionpilger (1492) written by Dominican Friar Felix Fabri. I demonstrate that the typologies are suitable for discussing non-locative journeys, in that many of the characteristics described by the Turners, and Eade and Sallnow are constituent elements present in the text Die Sionpilger. iii Acknowledgements There is a saying that “it takes a village to raise a child”; it is no less true of a thesis. My thanks to the community created and nurtured by the faculty, past and present, of the Department of Theological Studies, Concordia. Thanks to Dr. Matthew Anderson, Prof. Marie Campbell, Concetta Di Fruscia, Dr. André Gagné, Dr. Christine Jamieson, Dr. Steven Scott, and Dr. Lucian Turcescu. You have all helped me academically, professionally, and personally. Thank you for your constant guidance and patience. To my copy editors Jocelyn Beaudet and Leith Samad, thank you for picking through my words and pointing out that the comma is a punctuation mark to be used but not abused. My thanks to Prof. Sara Terreault for always pushing me to do things I did not think possible. I still have not forgiven you for making me present in front of one hundred students on my first day as teaching assistant. You have always known what I am capable of and invited me to live up to it, even when I did not see it. Much of this thesis is thanks to our conversations and those with our pilgrimage students. These often challenged me to consider non-locative pilgrimage in different ways and for a myriad of possible uses. In short: thank you for showing me how to be a better presenter, teacher, and person. To my friends, thank you for being there. If not for your support, this would not have been possible. Special thanks to Véronique Rosa for being a constant support through everything life has thrown my way. You have always been there with your patience, understanding, unique outlook on the world, humor, and friendship. Special thanks as well to fellow pilgrim Diane Wood. From after class beers to late night emails, it has been a joy to walk alongside you on this master’s journey. You have been an inspiration for me during this process. Last, but certainly not least, my thanks to my supervisor Dr. Jean-Michel Roessli without whose guidance, this work would not have been possible. Thank you for your constant support and emails from across the globe. iv However, I say for certain, that I did not have so much labour in making my pilgrimage from place to place, as I had in running from book to book, in thinking, reading and writing, correcting and correlating that I have written. Pro certo autem dico, quod non tantum laborem habui de loco ad locum peregrinando, quantum habui de libro ad librum discurrendo, quaerendo, legendo, et scribendo, scripta corrigendo et concordando. - Felix Fabri, Evagatorium As translated by K. Beebe v Table of Contents Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION – Can Foundational Pilgrimage Typologies Describe Non-Locative Journeys? .................................................................................................................1 I. Thesis Statement .....................................................................................................................2 II. Methodology .........................................................................................................................3 i. Previous research ...........................................................................................................3 a. Finding a historical example of non-locative pilgrimage ........................................3 b. Die Sionpilger as historical text ...............................................................................5 ii. Current study ..................................................................................................................6 a. Selecting a test case: Die Sionpilger ..........................................................................6 b. Selecting pilgrimage typologies .................................................................................8 c. What is a pilgrim? ....................................................................................................11 d. How to talk about non-locative practices .................................................................12 III. Overview ............................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER ONE – Die Sionpilger: A Non-Locative Case Study .................................................16 I. Problematic Pilgrimage ........................................................................................................16 i. Desire to witness Jerusalem .........................................................................................17 ii. Problematic pilgrims ....................................................................................................18 iii. Real Jerusalem, real problems .....................................................................................20 iv. Pilgrim options for those who cannot travel ................................................................23 v. Changing religious ideals .............................................................................................28 vi. Felix Fabri ...................................................................................................................30 vii. Requesting the means for non-locative travel .............................................................31 II. Die Sionpilger .....................................................................................................................33 i. Preparations for leaving: The 20 rules .........................................................................34 ii. Traveling with the knightly pilgrims ...........................................................................37 iii. Traveling apart from the knightly pilgrims ..................................................................40 III. Die Sionpilger – Summary .................................................................................................43 vi CHAPTER TWO – Seminal Pilgrimage Typologies Clarified .....................................................44 I. The Turners: The Emergence of Pilgrimage Typologies ...................................................44 II. Eade and Sallnow: A Typology of Contestation ................................................................48 III. Merleau-Ponty: The Embodied Pilgrim .............................................................................50 i. The history of modern phenomenology .......................................................................51 ii. Turning to the living body ...........................................................................................54 IV. Bringing Typologies Together ...........................................................................................56 CHAPTER THREE – Characteristics of Non-Locative Pilgrimage: