Museums of world religions : displaying the divine, shaping cultures / Charles Orzech.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Orzech, Charles, author.

Series:

Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion.

Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Museums--Religious aspects.

Museums.

Religion--Exhibitions.

Religion.

Religion--Museums.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 209 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

First edition.

Distribution:

[London, England] : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020

Place of Publication:

London [England] : Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020.

Summary:

"Critically examining the notion of 'world religions', Charles D. Orzech compares five purpose-built museums of world religions and their online extensions. Inspired by the 19th and 20th century discipline of comparative religion, these museums seek to promote religious tolerance by representing religious diversity and by arguing for underlying kinship among religions. From locations in Europe (Marburg, Glasgow and St Petersburg), to North America (Quebec) to Asia (Taipei), each museum advances a particular cultural history. This book shows how the curation of the objects they contain shapes public perceptions of religion, giving material form to the discourses about religion and world religions. Raising important questions about religion and secularity, museum displays and religious piety, Museums of World Religions questions the ideology that informs these museums. Building on recent anthropological work on the agency of religious objects, the author critiques these museums and suggests new approaches to displaying the matter of religion."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface and Acknowledgements

Part I: Displaying the Divine: Religious Objects and Comparison

1. Comparative Religion and World Religions Museums

2. The Body of God and the Matter of Religion Part II: Five Museums of World Religions

3. The Numinous in Marburg: Rudolf Otto's Religionskundliche Sammlung

4. Atheism, Science, and the History of Religions: St. Petersburg's State Museum of the History of Religions

5. Religion and Local Knowledge: Quebec's Le Musě Des Religions du Monde

6. A Dialogical Museum: The Sacred Gaze and the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art

7. A Religious Museum: The Museum of World Religions in Taipei Conclusion: Rethinking Museums of Religions

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Print version record.

ISBN:

9781350016279

1350016276

9781350016255

135001625X

OCLC:

1145616504