Author: Paul Ariese
Link to publication
Editor: Cornelieke van Voskuijlen
Teaching in Musealized Religious Spaces: Lessons from an Amsterdam Seminar
A chapter from 'The Bloomberg Handbook of Religion and Heritage in Contemporary Europe'
Author: Paul Ariese (2023)
When religious buildings and objects are labeled as “heritage,” a shift in function and a rearrangement of values take place. The transition of items from the religious realm to the secular heritage domain evokes diverse emotions: some consider this development a sign of progress, others experience a sense of loss. The meaning of religious heritage is thus rarely univocal. Heritage professionals involved in the interpretation of religious heritage must anticipate the questions and expectations of a diverse, contemporary audience; at the same time, they may be expected to be aware of the value systems and practices originally associated with the spaces and objects for which they have become responsible. To this end, it is essential to address the theoretical, practical, and ethical questions raised by the heritagization of religious materiality during the training of future heritage professionals. Considering that cultural heritage studies “must teach to induce change and also teach to understand” (Dubuc 2011: 507), the Reinwardt Academy (Amsterdam University of the Arts) decided in 2018 to introduce the subject of religious heritage into the undergraduate curriculum, with special attention to the transformation and reuse of religious buildings and the musealization of religious objects.