Bright yellow shell signs mark the Santiago de Compostela
■ Religion/Beliefs in society
Pilgrimage has attracted scant interest within the sociology of religion. It is typically seen as a historical relic, or something doomed to extinction as societies increasingly secularise. However, the assumptions behind the secularisation thesis have come under increasing attack. Although there has been an undeniable decline in mainstream Christian observance, there is a keen interest in other-than-human agencies whether these be seen as spirits, ghosts, saints, goddesses or ‘natural’ forces inhabiting springs, trees and the landscape, more generally.
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