Remembering and the Creation of Sacred Place Glastonbury, Anglican Christian Theology, and Identity

This article seeks to unravel some of the complex issues behind what are termed acts of “double remembering” at Glastonbury, particularly in Anglican Christian thought. The article will argue that contemporary Christian thinking around acts of pilgrimage are so multivalent and diverse that we cannot simply seek to understand even a fairly small scale issue like Anglican/Anglo Catholic pilgrimage to Glastonbury in terms of any general theoretical perspective, but that many conflicted, and often conflicting, acts of remembering which relate to the identity of those involved, are being enacted. This exposition is set against the context of contemporary Anglican thinking on pilgrimage, some significant theoretical constructions of pilgrimage, and the Christian and New Age understanding of Glastonbury and its meanings. Some aspects of implicit religion theory will be used to help discuss the issues.