Week 6 - Theoretical Reading - Understanding Glastonbury as a Site of Consumption

The main objective of Bowman's article is to examine the town of Glastonbury (located in south-west England) as an "example of a specialised site of religious and spiritual consumption where...commercial transactions can have sacralised meanings and value" (11).

Bowman sets the scene of Glastonbury by describing contemporary Glastonbury's role as a pilgrimage centre, where a wide range beliefs and praxis are represented in the town through different shops, accommodation, events, goods, services and workshops specifically associated with each of them (17). What has been created by this is a "unique spiritual service industry"making Glastonbury a "site of spiritual consumption" (13).

As a result of this spiritual consumption, Glastonbury, as with other sacred or special sites, can be seen as a place of commercialism with many material goods on sale (14). Bowman explores two main perspectives when analysing the site of Glastonbury. The first, is the view expressed by Hanegraaf in Bowman's paper who describes the "New Ager" as the "ideal consumer". This description depicts a new age person as one who is "continually creating and recreating their own private system of symbolic meaning and values" which creates perfect conditions for commercialism through spirituality (19). In this way, Glastonbury facilitates this commercialism by constantly changing and providing constantly new spiritual material goods to represent different beliefs.

However, as Bowman points out these goods and services are not necessarily "exploitatively or impassively" provided. They are often provided for a purpose (19). Another important point Bowman makes is that those objects that are purchased or transactions that are made at pilgrimage centres such as Glastonbury often have complex meanings and significance. When a person purchases an object from such a centre, it is often the symbolism of the object that is significant - the fact that it represents the centre or marks the person's identity as a pilgrim that has made a specific journey to a specific place (14).

Therefore, Bowman's argument seems to be that while it may be easy to dismiss such a place as Glastonbury as a site of spiritual consumption, commercialism and a place to "spiritually shop around" (13), this is not necessarily in opposition to the place being spiritually significant for people. Material goods for sale are but one aspect or symbol of the expression of spirituality, they do not cancel out the spirituality of a place, both consumption and spirituality can be present and co-exist in the one place.


Reference

Bowman M. 2012. Understanding Glastonbury as a Site of Consumption. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion, Media and Culture:  A Reader. 11-22. London and New York:  Routledge