In this episode, I reflect on the journey of starting the podcast, the challenges faced in transitioning from writing to video, and the valuable feedback received from guests and listeners. The episode highlights key themes identified across the first 15 episodes, including memory, trauma, healing, and identity, and outlines future directions for the podcast, including a focus on psychological constructs related to pilgrimage and the development of a community around the topic. I discuss these reflections with my daughter, Ayla, who also offers her thoughts on the trajectory of the podcast. She also recounts her pilgrimage in Belleau Wood and offers thoughts about the similarities amongst all types of pilgrimages.

Takeaways:

*The podcast reflects on the journey of creating and evolving the content.

*Guest and listener feedback is invaluable for shaping future episodes.

*Themes of memory, trauma, and healing are prevalent in pilgrimage discussions.

*Transitioning from writing to video podcasting presents unique challenges.

*Editing and production have improved significantly over time.

*The importance of amplifying diverse voices in pilgrimage experiences.

*Listener engagement is crucial for the podcast's growth.

*Future episodes will explore psychological aspects of pilgrimage.

*Creating a community around the podcast is a priority.

*The podcast aims to connect personal experiences with broader pilgrimage themes.

In this episode I speak with Philip Dunshea about the intersections of pilgrimage, personal histories, and academic publishing. Part of the backdrop for our conversation is the book, “Remembering Peasants: A Personal History of a Vanished World”, by Patrick Joyce. We explore the transformative nature of pilgrimages, particularly in relation to peasant life and spirituality, and discuss the impact of historical contexts, such as war, on pilgrimage practices. The conversation also delves into the role of academic publishing in shaping the discourse around pilgrimage studies and offers insights for aspiring authors. We discuss my book series “Pilgrimage Studies” and some of the volumes we envision adding to the series. Ultimately, we reflect on the essence of pilgrimage as a journey towards higher understanding and meaning.

Takeaways:

• *The book 'Remembering Peasants' reshapes perspectives on pilgrimage.

• *Pilgrimages are deeply connected to land and heritage.

• *Peasant life and pilgrimage are intertwined with communal identity.

  *Healing motivations are significant in pilgrimage practices.

• *Mountaineering shares similarities with pilgrimage experiences.

• *Academic publishing plays a crucial role in pilgrimage studies.

• *Future volumes in pilgrimage studies can explore diverse themes.

• *Virtual pilgrimages are emerging as a significant topic.

• *The impact of war on pilgrimage practices is profound.

• *Defining pilgrimage involves seeking higher understanding and meaning.

  Philip Dunshea was born in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands but grew up mainly in North Wales. He studied medieval history at St Andrews and then went to Cambridge for an MPhil and a PhD. He subsequently lectured in Celtic history at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, Cambridge, for a few years and then moved to Glasgow to start a new career in publishing. He started work as an acquisitions editor at Peter Lang in 2018 and moved to Ontario in 2019. Philip is married with two young sons. His hobbies include mountaineering, gardening, and making curries.

  
  

In this conversation, I talk with Joacim Hallberg about his extensive research on Swedish soldiers who fought in World War I, particularly those who are buried along the Western Front. He shares insights into the criteria for his research, some of the immigration patterns of Swedish soldiers, and the emotional connections he forms with the descendants, or family members, of these soldiers. Joacim emphasizes the importance of individual stories and the impact of remembrance, while also reflecting on his own identity and the significance of his work in connecting families to their past.

Takeaways:

*Joacim Hallberg has compiled information on 565 Swedish soldiers from WWI.

*His research includes soldiers buried in the US and UK, as well as those in Belgium and France.

*The criteria for inclusion in his research focus on Swedish-born soldiers who fought in the Great War.

*Joacim's work parallels immigration patterns of Swedes to North America during the war.

*He emphasizes the importance of individual soldier stories and their connections to families.

*Joacim connects with descendants of soldiers, helping them learn about their relatives' histories.

*He uses church records and other archives to trace soldiers' backgrounds and military service.

*Visiting graves and battlefields is a deeply emotional experience for Joacim.

*He views his work as a pilgrimage, connecting families to their past.

*Joacim aims to highlight the legacy of Swedish soldiers in WWI and ensure they are not forgotten.

Major Joacim Hallberg is an Army officer in the Swedish Armed Forces and has served in several international missions, including deployments in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Mali.

In recent years, he has developed a profound interest in the First World War, with a particular focus on Swedish emigrants who enlisted and served as soldiers in their adopted countries' armed forces.

In his research, Hallberg seeks to connect individual life stories with the specific terrains in which these soldiers served. Through extensive archival work and field studies, he has established contacts with the descendants and relatives of the soldiers, both in Sweden and abroad. This has enabled the creation of meaningful links between the families and the soldiers’ final resting places.

In this episode, I talk with Paul Hardin Kapp about the intersection of architecture, memorialization, and pilgrimage, particularly in the context of World War I cemeteries. Paul discusses the historical significance of tropes, the role of American cemeteries in expressing imperialism, and the influence of architect Paul Cret on cemetery design. The dialogue also explores the experience of pilgrimage in these spaces, the evolution of memorial practices, and the relationship between nature and sacred spaces. Finally, the conversation touches on the contemporary issues of iconoclasm and memory in architecture.

Takeaways:

*The intersection of architecture and pilgrimage is profound.

*Tropes serve as powerful symbols of memorialization.

*Paul Cret's designs significantly shaped memorial architecture.

*Pilgrimage experiences are designed to facilitate reflection.

*Memorial practices have evolved over time.

*Nature plays a crucial role in creating sacred spaces.

*Iconoclasm challenges our understanding of memory and heritage.

*The relationship between humans and architecture is fundamental.

*Current scholarship is beginning to reconnect the human experience with architecture.

Paul Hardin Kapp is Associate Professor of Architecture, Director, Master of Science in Historic Preservation, and Director of the Michael Christopher Duda Center for Historic Preservation, Resilience, and Sustainability at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. He is an award winning author of multiple books and an award winning historic preservation architect. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2014 and a Fulbright Scholar at Clergy-Paris Universite, Neuville-sur-Oise, France in 2023. He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in 2019 and a Franklin Fellow at the U.S. Department of State in 2020. He is currently a Guggenheim Fellow and writing his latest book on iconoclasm in civic spaces, which will be published in 2027.

In this episode I speak with military historian Jonathan Bratten, who specializes in the colonial era and World War I. We discuss the US Army 26th “Yankee” Division, the historical significance of the 103rd Infantry Regiment, the concept of pilgrimage in military history, and the personal connections that arise when visiting battlefields like Belleau Wood. The conversation explores how these experiences shape our understanding of history and the importance of remembrance in connecting past sacrifices to present-day service.

Takeaways:

>>Jonathan Bratten has written about the 26th “Yankee” Division’s 103rd Infantry Regiment in World War I.

>>Pilgrimages can serve as a means of connecting with history on a personal level.

>>Experiencing battlefields allows historians to feel a shared connection with soldiers.

>>Belleau Wood is considered a sacred site for many veterans and historians.

>>The emotional weight of pilgrimage can lead to profound personal reflections.

>>Planning modern pilgrimages requires thoughtful consideration of historical significance.

>>Communal remembrance is vital for understanding the cost of military conflict.

>>The act of commemoration can bring historical figures into the present.

>>The intersection of military history and personal pilgrimage is a growing field of study.

Jonathan Bratten is a military historian and National Guard officer, specializing in the colonial era and World War I. His book To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919 received the Army Historical Foundation ‘s distinguished writing award for 2021.

In this episode I talk with Shay Rabineau about the historical and cultural significance of hiking trails in Israel. He shares his personal journey from curiosity about the land to academic research, exploring the dual nature of hiking as both a spiritual pilgrimage and an adventure. The conversation delves into the complexities of faith, identity, and the political implications of trail marking, as well as the emerging field of trailology, which seeks to understand trails beyond their recreational use. We also discuss Rabineau’s book, “Walking the Land: A History of Israeli Hiking Trails”.

Takeaways:

The first mapped trail network in the Middle East was created in Israel.

Hiking is seen as a uniquely Israeli activity, deeply tied to national identity.

The experience of walking can transform one's understanding of faith and spirituality.

Trails serve as symbols of ownership and connection to the land.

Walking allows for a deeper engagement with the landscape and its history.

Trail marking has both practical and political implications in Israel.

The definition of a trail is complex and multifaceted.

Trailology seeks to understand trails through various disciplinary lenses.

Walking can facilitate dialogue and connection between diverse groups.

Shay Rabineau is Associate Professor of Israel Studies and the Chair of the Department of Judaic Studies at Binghamton University. Much of his work focuses on the political and existential dimensions of hiking trails. His 2023 book, Walking the Land: A History of Israeli Hiking Trails explored how Israel's country-wide trail system took shape, with attention to the roles it has played in public school education, military conflict, environmentalism, territorial conquest, and civil-religious pilgrimage. For his current book project, he retraced the route of a 1934 trek around the Dead Sea in order to write about the area's changing physical and political landscape.

In this episode, I talk with Megan Kelleher about the significance of pilgrimages in relation to First World War memorials, artifacts, and personal stories. She shares her family's connection to the war and explores the broader impact of war on pilgrimage practices. The discussion delves into the differences between pilgrims and tourists, the meaning of souvenirs, and the emotional connections people have with the sites they visit. The conversation highlights the role of women in commemorating the war dead, the importance of the Unknown Warrior, and the ongoing relevance of pilgrimage in contemporary society. This episode draws from Megan’s chapter entitled “Hallowed Ground: British Battlefield Tourism to the Former Western Front” in my forthcoming anthology "Pilgrimages to the Western Front of World War 1: Historical Exemplars and Contemporary Practices", edited with Stéphane Michonneau and Franck Viltart (published in 2025). Takeaways:*The Next of Kin memorial plaque symbolizes personal loss.*

*Pilgrimages serve as a way to connect with history.*

*Souvenirs from battlefields hold deep personal significance.*

*Women played a crucial role in commemorating the war dead.*

*The Unknown Warrior represents collective grief.*

*Pilgrimages provide a sense of peace and reflection.*

*Artifacts passed down through families tell unique stories.*

*The debate between pilgrim and tourist is ongoing.*

*Modern connections to historical sites enrich our understanding.*

*Commemoration practices evolve but remain deeply meaningful.*Dr Megan Kelleher is the Historian and Academic Access Manager at the RAF Museum. Her thesis focused on death and bereavement practices in Britain after the First World War, in addition to the interactions between the bereaved and the Imperial (later known as Commonwealth) War Graves Commission. Megan’s research interests include death and bereavement practices in relation to modern conflict, in addition to war dead commemorated at home. She hopes to further this research through additional study of wider commemoration and bereavement practices across Europe, as well as comparative studies of First and Second World War commemoration.In addition to her work at the Royal Air Force Museum, Megan works for the British Association for Local History where she is their Digital Strategy Coordinator. Megan is an ex-officio member of the Royal Air Force Historical Society’s committee, a member of the British Commission for Military History’s committee and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.