The Eschatological Body: Fleeing the Centre in Pre-Modern Insular Christianity and Post-Modern Secularity

‘The Eschatological Body’ examines the practice peregrinatio pro Christo among the Insular Christians living at the north-west edge of Europe in the early Middle Ages. The paper distinguishes this peregrinatio ex patria from the more conventional understanding of pilgrimage as peregrinatio ad loca, or destinational pilgrimage. It explores the theological and existential meanings of exile, foreignness, and home inherent in the practices, and suggests that for these Insular peregrini, the body becomes the dynamic ‘centre’ in decentred, itinerant lives awaiting the eschaton. The paper concludes by considering the possible links between this ancient practice and the postmodern notion of ‘existential migration’ as theorised by psychologist Greg Madoson.