Religious Heritage: Reconciliation between Spirituality and Cultural Concerns

Óscar Fernández-Álvarez¹, Miguel González-González², Sara Ouali-Fernández^3
1Department of Social Anthropology, University of León (Spain). ORCID: 0000-0002-5254-6908. Email: oscar.fernandez@unileon.es
²Department of Social Anthropology, University of León (Spain). ORCID: 0000-0003-2577-5753. Email: migog@unileon.es
³Department of Social Anthropology, University of León (Spain). ORCID: 0000-0002-4184-0298. Email: sara_o_f@hotmail.com

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 4, December, 2022. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n4.29
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Abstract

Religious heritage has a dual cultural and religious meaning and importance in society. It has a cultural value because it symbolises the history and art of a community, and a religious value because it represents a spiritual hub and home for a community of believers. This article analyses the challenges posed by this association between religious heritage —as both an economic and tourism resource— and cultural heritage. Methodologically, an observation, reflection and analysis of the challenges that are faced are proposed. The results reveal various initiatives for development, protection and enhancement. The discussion revolves around the importance of community involvement and the benefits this brings to various sectors, including economic activity, from the perspective of religious tourism as an aspect of tourism per se, in which a faith and its believers are elements that merit heritage conservation.

Keywords: Anthropology, Heritage, Religion, Religious tourism