Simon Coleman is one of the most active and influential anthropologists of his generation. His anthropological work on religion, in particular, has become a reference point for many people working within the field. In this interview, Coleman talks for the first time about his own personal entry into the field of religion. Coleman also formulates what he sees as a genealogy of the anthropology of Christianity and links it to his broader views of the anthropology of religion and its current and future directions. The last part of the interview focuses on Coleman’s latest book, Powers of pilgrimage, where he presents a novel conceptual toolkit for the study of pilgrimage – and beyond.