Angela White: Required Reading 5: Pilgrimage as a Liminoid Phenomenon

There is a section in Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture that talks about pilgrimages having liminoid characteristics. I find this interesting in that I see it as being one hundred percent accurate. Liminoid can be defined as "open, optional, or not conceptualized as religious routine"(231). This shows that a pilgrimage is a choice that a person must make on their own, meaning it is not required. Though it can be a sort of rite or passage, the fact that it is not obligatory can make it more meaningful to a person. The fact that they chose to do it on their own can show their commitment to the lifestyle that comes along with a pilgrimage. If a person makes the choice on their own, the pilgrimage becomes something that is unique to them, instead of something that is customary to their culture. The fact that it was something that they chose to do, I feel, is part of what makes it so important to becoming closer with God. A person must reach out to God in order for His love to have the positive effect on them.