11/24: Communitas as Discussed in Turner's Pilgrimage in Christian Culture (David Blanton)

Communitas, as defined by Turner, exists as an integral fact of every person's life, whether it is a religious experience or not. Although it is not necessarily a spiritual phenomenon, its characteristics resemble religious themes. Turner writes, "the bonds of communitas are undifferentiated, egalitarian, direct, extant, nonrational, existential, I-Thou" (250). In this way, sentiments of equality, similar to some religions such as Christianity and Buddhism arise. Religious experiences of unity are often marking, bearing a long-lasting mark on the believer both in the outward and inward expression of their faith. The religious person discovers deeper purpose and is able to see him or herself as part of a larger cosmic scheme, taking on a humility that is also marked by confidence in their own identity. However, I wonder if experiences of communitas that are not necessarily religious in intention bear similar, long-lasting fruit. It will be interesting to explore this as we continue to discuss specific journeys as on the AT and PCT, and I wonder how different contexts for communitas impact the participants in this way.