Rome: Multiversal City: The Material and the Immaterial in Religious Tourism

Abstract

The article presents a discussion regarding the religious philosophy of sacred space and the dichotomy of the secular tourist industry and sacred pilgrimage tradition, particularly through an examination of the characteristics of Rome, Italy as a Christian site of pilgrimage. Comments are given discussing the philosophical challenges of "space" within the Christian religious worldview, noting the presence and need for locality but also the undermining of its importance in the religious conception of eternity. Several locations within Rome are discussed as locations of simultaneous religious significance to Christians as well as historical sites of antiquity and commercial centers. It is suggested that such examples of concurrent existence best describe the dynamics of sacred space within 21st century society.