Theology of Tourism: Foundations and Functions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65394/dissertia2025.1.1.ttsaKeywords:
Theology of Tourism, Catholic Church, Religious Authority, Pilgrimage, Moral Challenges, Desacralization, Tourism IndustryAbstract
This study investigates the emergence of a new theology of tourism in Christianity, addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the tourism industry. Utilizing a qualitative-exploratory approach, the research analyzes theological responses to tourism’s rise since the late 19th century, a period marked by threats to traditional religious authority. Key findings reveal that while tourism poses significant challenges, such as moral laxity and desacralization, it also offers opportunities for enhanced religious visibility and new pilgrimage practices. This research contributes to the understanding of how religious institutions can adapt to contemporary societal changes, emphasizing the need for a proactive theological response.
References
Campbell, Heidi, ed. 2013. Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415676106.
Eade, John, and Michael Sallnow, eds. 1991. Contesting the Sacred: The Anthropology of Christian Pilgrimage. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415043603.
Jamal, Tazim, and Blanca Alejandra Camargo. 2013. “Sustainable Tourism, Justice, and an Ethic of Care: Toward the Just Destination.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 22 (1): 11–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2013.786084.
MacCannell, Dean. 1999. The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520218925.
O’Grady, Ron. 2006. The Threat of Tourism: Challenge to the Church. Geneva: World Council of Churches (WCC Publications). ISBN 9782825414811.
Rinschede, Gisbert. 1992. “Forms of Religious Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research 19: 51–67.
Stausberg, Michael. 2011. Religion and Tourism: Crossroads, Destinations, and Encounters. Abingdon and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415549318.
Turner, Victor Witter, and Edith L. B. Turner. 1978. Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231157919.
Urry, John. 1992. “The Tourist Gaze and the ‘Environment.’” Theory, Culture & Society 9 (3): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/026327692009003001.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hamideh Amiryazdani, Mehrab Sadeghnia, Ahmad Reza Meftah, Hamid Zargham Boroujeni

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles in Dissertia Research Reviews are published under the CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons License, which allows sharing, copying, distributing, and adapting the work, even for commercial purposes, provided proper credit is given. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
By publishing with Dissertia Research Reviews, authors agree that their work will be freely accessible worldwide, supporting open access, scholarly visibility, and wider academic exchange.