Investigating the Changes in the Meaning of Pilgrimage in Modern Theology (Based on the Concept of Holiness)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

Assistant Professor at the Department of Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

10.30513/rhj.2026.8078.1021

Abstract

Pilgrimage is one of the concepts that has found new instances in the modern era. Tombs of artistic figures, war memorials, and distinctive media scenes are among the pilgrimage sites of the new age. In this article, using a descriptive-analytical method, the semantic evolution of the concept of pilgrimage in the modern era has been examined with regard to the concept of holiness and the theological foundations of this period. According to the findings of this research, regarding the concept of pilgrimage in the modern era compared to the pre-modern, what has occurred is not specification or expansion, but a semantic change. Accordingly, in traditional theology, holiness was an intra-religious matter formed solely through a relationship with God. However, in the modern era, holiness has become not a discoverable concept, but rather a constructive and extra-religious concept that requires no type of religious affiliation. This conceptual evolution of pilgrimage stems from some of the foundations of modern theology, including the emphasis on the interiority of God, extreme rationalism, individualism, religious experience, and humanism.

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Available Online from 12 January 2026

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