Leisure Bound and Free

Leisure Bound and Free is an exploration of ancient pilgrimage through the experiences of the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Early Christian communities. Pilgrimage, a leisure activity, began with a focus on sport, entertainment, festival, and worship, but, thanks to a time of Roman peace and an efficient transit system, quickly expanded to include tourist activities, including sightseeing at the Egyptian Pyramids; standing on the site where Plato taught in Athens; and visiting the Roman Colosseum.

Religious pilgrimage, to Mount Olympus or the healing Temples of Asclepius or Jerusalem's magnificent temple, amongst others, was intriguing in ancient times. In a world soaked in the sacred, people in early Christian communities began making pilgrimages to encounter holy places, holy people (dead or alive), and holy things. In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine began building sanctuaries on Christian pilgrimage sites, like the Church of the Nativity and Holy Sepulchre. Over time, the Roman Empire's building program replaced, destroyed, or ignored all other formerly sacred sites.

Today, most remaining church buildings are too expensive to maintain and largely empty. Perhaps this is the church's invitation to remember and engage in becoming communities of and for pilgrims.