Marijana Belaj "A Place Where God Has Touched the Land in a Special Way": Medjugorje as an International and Intercultural Space Marijana Belaj -Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Zagreb (Croatia), marijana@belaj.com After the work by the Dutch anthropologist Mart Bax, Medjugorje gained an academic reputation of a showcase for a pilgrimage space with religious, ethnic and political conflicts. From the very beginning of its pilgrimage history, Medjugorje as a sacred place attracted believers of various religious affiliations. The intention of this paper is to open up a different perspective in contrast to one proposed by Bax, namely, a perspective of international and intercultural communication through the shaping of Medjugorje pilgrimage. By analyzing primarily narrative expressions, but also embodied experiences and material objects, the paper sketches situations and manifestations of such interaction and communication. At the same time, it points to the obstacles in the processes that have emerged from the construction and interpretation of cultural differences. The paper concludes with an attempt to show that Medjugorje may be seen as an example ofinterculturality, unless religion and identity are not approached as something given or as a kind of a ghetto. Keywords: Medjugorje, Balkans, pilgrimage, internationality, interculturality стр. 161КАК ЦЕНТР паломничества Междугорье (Medugorje) стало известно в международном академическом сообществе во многом благодаря работам голландского антрополога Марта Бакса. После выхода его книги1 Междугорье воспринимается как яркий пример паломничества, отмеченного религиозными, этническими и политическими конфликтами2, с ярко выраженным националистическим измерением3. Подобное восприятие Междугорья совпадает с политическими и популярными дискурсами о Боснии и Герцеговине, которые подчеркивают непреодолимость этнических и религиоз ... Read more