Commentary Individuation in Country Music: A Modern Pilgrimage

Cattle festivals and cattle rites are much neglected elements of the Indian cattle complex. This study examines Gopashtami and Govardhan Puja, two cattle festivals identified with the cult of Krishna. Although Krishna assumes several aspects in Hinduism, the pastoral Krishna is one of the most popular forms of the deity. Gopashtami and Govardhan Puja are important festivals in Braj, the traditional homeland of the cowherd god. Their origins can be traced to medieval Hindu texts, but Govardhan Puja contains ritual elements that suggest ancient rites have been absorbed into a later Hindu festival. Gopashtami and Govardhan Puja, like any religious festival, can be interpreted at several different levels. They have symbolic meaning, raising questions of conflicting religious traditions or economic systems in the past. They mirror regional patterns of culture and historical tradition in India. They assume a range of social functions, and in addition, form part of the process by which people are exposed to their cultural heritage. Above all, however, they are festivals dedicated to cattle and to the cowherd god Krishna. The myths and rituals of Gopashtami and Govardhan Puja reflect the strong historical ties between Krishna and the cow, as well as reinforce traditional Hindu concepts concerning the sanctity of the cow.     

Socioeconomic Rights: A Dialogue With Islam

There are some who believe that there will be an inevitable “clash of civilizations” between the Muslim world and the West. By contrast, this article contends that there are many opportunities for constructive dialogue between the two that can bridge the cultural divide. Specifically, the article proposes a cross‐cultural dialogue on social justice as a promising starting point for productive intercultural engagement. The article discusses the rich tradition of social justice in the Muslim world, and the ways in which these Islamic tenets are implemented by a range of Islamist political parties, including Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP), Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD), and Tunisia's Ennahda Movement. Given the West's relative dearth of mainstream social justice parties, the article proposes that, on this count, it has much to learn from the Muslim world.     

Pilgrimage and tourism: Cathedral visiting in contemporary England

Abstract

This paper examines the role of cathedral visiting in contemporary England. It highlights the importance of cathedrals to the tourism economy and also considers the issue of the commercialisation of heritage within cathedrals and the difficulties posed for cathedral authorities in contrasting perceptions of visitors as tourists and pilgrims. The issue of pilgrimage is examined through the results of a survey of the experiences and attitudes of eight hundred visitors to four English cathedrals. It is suggested that the tension between tourism and pilgrimage is not as great as might be expected and that experience of visiting a cathedral can engender a sense of pilgrimage in the tourist     

Beverley,Inderauuda and St John: A Neglected Reference

Abstract

This article examines the 1852 Sunderland election campaign as an example of a borough election in the fluid political situation of the 1850s. It seeks to demonstrate the complex interaction of national and local issues, influence, personalities and personal interests in the context of the town's previous electoral history, and the influence that memories of incidents in previous campaigns exerted on the contest. It argues that it was, and was perceived by contemporaries to be, primarily a contest between interests within the Liberal party rather than one between Conservatives and Liberals. The article seeks to identify the problems this presented in the management of the election and the tactics and means employed in the presentation of the campaigns to the public, particularly in the use made of local newspapers. The bitterness of the contest and the volume of, at times contradictory, evidence that has survived allow for a more detailed examination than is possible for many elections of this period, enabling at least some insight to be gained into the complexity of the underlying manoeuvres and the shifting motives and loyalties of the participants. The article concludes by examining briefly the results of the election but acknowledges the difficulties of attempting to go beyond the contest and its result to reach any detailed understanding of voters' motivations.