Religious Objects in Museums

Aimed at all those interested in how objects work, how religion works and how museums work, this is the first book to investigate the variety of roles 'religious' objects take on in a museum. Using examples from museums throughout the world, and objects from many different faiths, it examines how religious objects take on new roles and build new relationships with their visitors, donors and curators. They are curated, visited, worshipped, claimed back, respected (or not), converted, hated, feared, admired as beautiful, and used to tell stories both true and false.

Contents:

Introduction
Objects Curated
Objects Visited
Objects Worshipped and Worshipping
Objects Claimed
Objects Respected
Objects Demanding and Dangerous
Objects Elevating
Objects Militant
Objects Promotional
Objects Explanatory and Evidential
Conclusion
Notes
References

“The author takes his readers on a magical world tour of tangible things that were once-and in some cases still are-used in a huge variety of religious settings. With a cosmopolitan lightness of touch, Paine demonstrates the radical instability of such things, even once they have found their way into museums. They do not have a single meaning or use, but are almost infinitely adaptable. Above all, he deftly shows that the "distinction between ‘religious' and ‘mundane' is a curious modern Western idea, incomprehensible to most people at most times." No other book introduces readers more engagingly to the puzzles surrounding how museums address the sacred realm worldwide.” – Ivan Gaskell, Professor of Cultural History and of Museum Studies, Bard Graduate Center, New York City