‘Sacred Journeys’ weds new pilgrims to old paths

Kimberly Winston

RNS) At a time when membership in organized religion is shrinking, the number of spiritual or religious pilgrims has never been larger — more than 200 million per year.

Why?

That’s the main question behind “Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler,” a six-part television series that premieres on PBS Tuesday (Dec. 16). In it, Feiler, 50, follows pilgrims to sacred sites in Israel, Japan, France, Nigeria, India and Saudi Arabia.

“Working on this series made me realize that organized religion may be threatened, but the desire people have for personal journeys, for seeking answers and asking the simplest question of ‘What do I believe?’ is as strong as ever,” Feiler said from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. “And pilgrimage is that — an expression of people trying to figure out what they believe.”

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/12/12/sacred-journeys-weds-new-pilgrims-old-paths/