A House of Prayer for all Peoples? The Unique Case of Somerville College Chapel,Oxford

Multifaith buildings have become common in Europe, North America, and much of the world, but they have yet to receive sufficient scholarly attention in the history of religious ideas, or in the theory of material religion. This paper begins to address this lacuna by the consideration of an early, but little known, multifaith chapel donated to Somerville College Oxford in the 1930s, which is unique within Oxford University. Its history, architecture, and artworks give valuable insights into the religious, intellectual, and cultural roots of what would subsequently become a global norm. The chapel can be seen as both a manifestation of the aspirations of liberal Christianity in the interwar years, including the advancement of women and ecumenism, and of the contestation of the role of religion in higher education among elites in the same period. Examining the case of Somerville chapel contributes to the theory of religion by considering how unbelief and multifaith ideas may be attempted to be materially expressed, and how this physical presence subsequently may impact on institutions and people through ongoing contestation, and negotiated use.     

Seeing religion with new eyes at the asian civilisations museum

ABSTRACT

In Asia and even in cosmopolitan Singapore, religion still plays a major role in national affairs as well as in the everyday lives of many ordinary people. Singapore is a secular state with a multifaith and multi-ethnic showcase. The plurality of cultures, religions, races, and origins still has a significant impact on state matters such as the school curriculum, citizenship education, and preservation of traditional cultures. Museum educators need to understand the opportunities and challenges diversity creates so that our collection and programs may be rendered relevant and meaningful to our visitors. Continual experimentation and responsive improvisation raised many questions and offered numerous possibilities for our museum educators to help visitors see religion with new eyes, not as exclusive sets of beliefs but an ecosystem of diverse ideas bound by rich civilizations that are connected by centuries of trade and cultural exchange. The Asian Civilisations Museum is the first museum in the region to present a broad yet integrated perspective of Asian cultures and civilizations. Can this museum really help people in our society, especially students; discover “selves” and “others“? Is it necessary to introduce new ways of looking at religion? Is impactful learning about various religions possible in a secular space?