DEVOTIONAL HERITAGE: THE PRACTICES AND COLLECTIONS OF REGIONAL JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES IN THE UNITED STATES
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Authors
Clark, Jeremy
Issue Date
2000
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Through an examination of five case study institutions, I investigated the practices and collections of local Christian or Jewish historical societies in the United States. Furthermore, I explored how five factors—a unique mission, a religiously homogeneous audience, a distinctive collection or collecting system, a historic building or location, and a complicated administrative system—affect the formation of local religious historical societies. The studies include the Peninsula Jewish Historical Society, Newport News, Virginia; the St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center, New Orleans, Louisiana; the Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum and Library, Epworth-By-The-Sea, Georgia; St. George's First United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Virginia Baptist Historical Society of Richmond. I especially focused on the ways in which religion affects a society's mission, funding, audience, collection and exhibits.
The recommendations that resulted from this study center on improvement strategies for the targeted community. More broadly, however, the analysis of these five institutions will serve not only those involved with faith-based museums, but also for those working in secular societies that are curious about incorporating a stronger sense of regional religious history into their organization's activities. Local historical society professionals can use this information to form new ideas about the roles that religion can play in their institutions.