This study posits that the contemporary individual can assume the role of a digital nomad, traversing the monasteries of Europe and engaging in a synthesis of professional pursuits, spiritual practice, and immersive experiences within the community. The data was analysed using an ethnographic approach, with a series of 11 semi-structured interviews conducted in four European countries with different religious traditions: France, Germany, Portugal and Italy. The common denominator of these locations is the presence of Catholic monasteries, except for the Catholic international Schoenstatt Movement. The immersion and subsequent interviews in the different places demonstrated that these spaces are conducive to both communal and solitary pursuits. Consequently, they play a pivotal role in religious tourism, providing an ideal haven for pilgrims seeking peace, equilibrium and the replenishment of their spiritual selves. The findings indicate that religious sites, including monasteries, are emerging as optimal destinations for monastic digital nomadism. In fact, monasteries are becoming increasingly popular as destinations for both pilgrims and digital nomads, offering a convergence of creative tourism, recreation and spiritual engagement.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Spiritual Journeys and Transformative Spaces: Pilgrimage, Religious Marketing, and Digital Nomadism in Contemporary Catholic Refuges

  • Madalena Eça de Abreu

摘要

This study posits that the contemporary individual can assume the role of a digital nomad, traversing the monasteries of Europe and engaging in a synthesis of professional pursuits, spiritual practice, and immersive experiences within the community. The data was analysed using an ethnographic approach, with a series of 11 semi-structured interviews conducted in four European countries with different religious traditions: France, Germany, Portugal and Italy. The common denominator of these locations is the presence of Catholic monasteries, except for the Catholic international Schoenstatt Movement. The immersion and subsequent interviews in the different places demonstrated that these spaces are conducive to both communal and solitary pursuits. Consequently, they play a pivotal role in religious tourism, providing an ideal haven for pilgrims seeking peace, equilibrium and the replenishment of their spiritual selves. The findings indicate that religious sites, including monasteries, are emerging as optimal destinations for monastic digital nomadism. In fact, monasteries are becoming increasingly popular as destinations for both pilgrims and digital nomads, offering a convergence of creative tourism, recreation and spiritual engagement.