Labels on the altar : the convergence of worship and learning in British church museums.

Abstract

Church museums are atypical institutions that foster both worship of God and learning of the history of the building and its people. A conflict often arises between these two roles of worship center and museum, which can easily lead to misunderstanding or even outright misappropriation of the relationship between the institutions and the public. What are their ultimate purposes, how can staff and volunteers work to achieve those purposes, and how can the purposes be effectively communicated to the public? This thesis discusses the historical importance of these institutions in Britain and how they can best serve in their peculiar functions of sacred faith and secular display in the modern world.