The Persistence of the Sacred: German Catholic Pilgrimage, 1832–1937.

"The Persistence of the Sacred: German Catholic Pilgrimage, 1832–1937" by Skye Doney explores the history of Catholic pilgrimages to Trier and Aachen in Germany. The book examines how Catholicism in Germany, both as an institutional religion and as a mass movement, navigated the intersection of faith and empirical science. Doney delves into the motivations and experiences of pilgrims seeking healing, atonement, or religious inspiration through contact with holy relics. The book also explores the tensions between clerics and skeptics, the gendered nature of pilgrimages, and the commercialization of pilgrimage souvenirs. While the book could benefit from further development in certain areas, it offers valuable insights into the embodied nature of faith and the participatory aspect of religious practices. [Extracted from the article]