This is no dry and dusty research project. It is vibrant with humanity, joy, sorrow and the author's overwhelming sense of Our Lady of Walsingham's significance in the Church's mission today. Published to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the foundaion of the Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham.

An "enlightening but also very funny" (Paul Theroux) account of one woman's personal quest to find the roots of belief among modern religious pilgrims.

The history and underlying ideology of pilgrimage examined, from prehistory to the middle ages. The enduring importance of pilgrimage as an expression of human longing is explored in this volume through three major themes: the antiquity of pilgrimage in what became the Christian world; the mechanisms of Christian pilgrimage(particularly in relation to the practicalities of the journey and the workings of the shrine); and the fluidity and adaptability of pilgrimage ideology. In their examination of pilgrimage as part of western culture from neolithictimes onwards, the authors make use of a range of approaches, often combining evidence from a number of sources, including anthropology, archaeology, history, folklore, margin illustrations and wall paintings; they suggest that it is the fluidity of pilgrimage ideology, combined with an adherence to supposedly traditional physical observances, which has succeeded in maintaining its relevance and retaining its identity. They also look at the ways in whichpilgrimage spilled into, or rather was part of, secular life in the middle ages. Dr JENNIE STOPFORD teaches in the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. Contributors: RICHARD BRADLEY, E.D. HUNT, JULIEANN SMITH, SIMON BARTON, WENDY R. CHILDS, BEN NILSON, KATHERINE J. LEWIS, DEBRA J. BIRCH, SIMON COLEMAN, JOHN ELSNER, A. M. KOLDEWEIJ.

October 2006 saw the 75th anniversary of the restoration of the Shrine of Walsingham by Alfred Hope Patten, a leading Anglo-Catholic priest of his generation, who was at the time the parish priest of Walsingham. Dismissed by detractors at the time, Walsingham has since grown into Britain's leading place of pilgrimage for Anglicans and Catholics alike. Similarly, Anglo-Catholicism itself has expanded into a creative force within the Church of England. The need for an authoritative biography of Alfred Hope Patten has long been felt - and this volume meets that need. Michael Yelton was afforded unrestricted access to the archives of the Shrine to produce this definitive work. It sets out previously unpublished material on Hope's family and background and explores many of the myths that he created about himself. It deals with the struggles he had - personal and financial - to establish his dream in the Norfolk countryside, the failure of his vision in other areas, and assesses his legacy to the Church of England.

This guide to the Eternal City pays particular attention to the practical side of any visit to Rome, supplementing its introduction to the city's incomparable heritage (both Christian and pagan) with a wealth of useful information to help the individual pilgrim or tourist make the most of their time in Rome.

Pilgrimage has been an important practice for Christians since the fourth century, but for many people these days it is no more than a relic of church history, utterly irrelevant to their lives. In THE ACCIDENTAL PILGRIM author and theologian Maggi Dawn shares her own gradual discovery of what it means to be a pilgrim, and suggests ways in which we can rediscover this ancient spiritual discipline in our global, twenty-first century world. Study trips to the Holy Land, frustrated pilgrimages as a young mother and internal journeys of soul all feature in this beautiful and inspiring memoir. Exploring both the past and the present of pilgrimage, it is a compelling invitation to all on the journey of faith.