Kathryn Barush: Pilgrimage and Material Religion

Kathryn is Bertelsen Professor of Art History and Religion at the Graduate Theological Union and Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. She has published extensively on the theory of pilgrimage, especially as it relates to art experience. Her recent project, "Imaging Pilgrimage: Art as Embodied Experience" was the recipient of the American Academy of Religion and the Arts Book Award and the Borsch-Rast Book Prize. She is the founding director of the Berkeley Art and Interreligious Pilgrimage Project, and remains an advisor to the British Pilgrimage Trust.​In this conversation, I spoke with Kathryn about the multifaceted nature of pilgrimage and its relationship to art, spirituality, and community. We explored how images, objects, and environments enhance the pilgrimage experience, from historical traditions to contemporary practices. We also discussed the transformative power of art and the ways it can foster imagination, communitas, and deeper spiritual engagement.