Bible And Global Tourism

An examination of how biblical tourism is enmeshed within the production and management of heritage; marketing and publicity in contexts of global tourism; accessibility of bible-related sites and routes for multiple audiences; and, the forging of connections between touristic experience and biblical identity. Covering issues such as devotional piety, religious pedagogy, and entertainment the chapters trace how contexts of biblical tourism are choreographed and consumed, and how these practices shape the embodied experience of scripture.

The volume answers four key questions. (1) How have people used tourism to develop new (or, renewed) relationships with the Bible? (2) Historically, what role has the Bible (as text to be read, object to be handled, narrative to be marshaled) played in the development of modern tourism? (3) In the context of the tourist encounter, how have people mobilized the Bible as a social and expressive resource? (4) What forms of social exchange shape acts of biblical tourism (e.g., among pilgrims, between lay pilgrims and leaders; leaders and guides; guides and lay pilgrims; guides/leaders/pilgrims with local individuals and institutions; between people and landscapes)? Together these chapters outline the contemporary complexities of biblical tourism - which range far beyond visiting shrines and "Holy Places" - as shown in cases such as festivals, museums, theme parks, and heritage sites.