Amy Weiss, University of Hartford

Evangelical Christian Theme Parks and Museums: Reshaping American Public Religion

Amy Weiss, Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies and History, University of Hartford

This seminar paper will examine the Ark Encounter (Williamstown, Kentucky), the Creation Museum (Petersburg, Kentucky), the Billy Graham Library (Charlotte, North Carolina), and the Museum of the Bible (Washington, D.C.). These spaces rely on biblical accounts to not only interpret the past, but they also use the bible to make sense of the present and future. Investigating evangelical “theme parks” and museums provides a new perspective on American public religion by demonstrating how Christian religious beliefs are communicated to visitors and how these visitors engage with the opportunities for evangelical ideological exploration that are offered to them.

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This event is free, but all participants must register in advance. Space is limited, so please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.

About the Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar Series

The Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar explores topics in religion and culture including social history, biography, cultural studies, visual and material culture, urban studies, and the history of ideas. We are interested in how religious belief has affected society, rather than creedal or theological focused studies. The Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar is co-sponsored by the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame, the McGreal Center at Dominican University, the History Department at Loyola University, the University of Chicago Divinity School, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Wheaton College.

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