Theatricality, Theology, and the Sacred: Sabt al-Nur in Protestant Travel Literature in Ottoman Jerusalem
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores Western Protestant critiques of the Orthodox ritual of Sabt al-Nur in eighteenth-and nineteenth-century travel literature on Ottoman Jerusalem.Protestant writers approached the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with spiritual anticipation but viewed the Orthodox Miracle of the Holy Fire as excessive and suspect.Drawing on performance studies, this essay examines Protestant depictions of the ritual through themes of histrionics, carnivalesque excess, and duplicity.These critiques simultaneously reflect Protestant anxieties about religious authenticity while revealing a paradoxical fascination with Orthodox practices.It contends that Sabt al-Nur's theatricality blurred the lines between spectatorship and participation, inviting both criticism and engagement.Protestant accounts, moreover, highlight the tensions between Orthodox antitheatrical claims and the ritual's mimetic and performative elements.By analyzing these narratives, this study illuminates broader cultural and theological conflicts in defining sacredness.Despite skepticism, the enduring appeal of Sabt al-Nur underscores the transformative power of ritual performance in shaping spiritual and communal experiences, bridging historical continuity and contemporary pilgrimage.
Source: Jerusalem Quarterly
Author: Marina Johnson
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4417239767