Anglican cathedrals and implicit religion: Softening the boundaries of sacred space through innovative events and installations

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Anglican cathedrals and implicit religion: Softening the boundaries of sacred space through innovative events and installations
 
Creator McKenna, Ursula Francis, Leslie J. Stewart, Francis
 
Subject — cathedral studies; implicit religion; websites; sacred space; secular activities
Description High profile (and controversial) events and installations, like the Helter-Skelter in Norwich and the Crazy Golf Bridges in Rochester, have drawn attention to innovation and public engagement within Anglican cathedrals. The present study contextualised these innovations both empirically and conceptually. The empirical framework draws on cathedral websites to chronicle the wide and diverse range of events and installations hosted by Anglican cathedrals in England and the Isle of Man between 2018 and 2022. The conceptual framework draws on Edward Bailey’s theory of implicit religion to classify and to explore these events and installations. Two insights from the theory of implicit religion emerged as of particular significance. First, the notion of implicit religion softens the boundaries between the sacred and the secular. This was exemplified by eight categories of events: scientific exhibitions, festivals, musical events, art exhibitions, theatre, markets, community events and installations. Second, the notion of implicit religion draws attention to the themes and activities that generate meaning and purpose. This was exemplified by seven themes: social justice and social conscience, violence and reconciliation, remembrance, migration and sanctuary, COVID-19 and lockdowns, personal well-being and nature and environment.Contribution: Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this article identifies the range of innovative events and installations hosted by Anglican Cathedrals in England and the Isle of Man and assesses the significance of these events and installations through Edward Bailey’s lens of implicit religion, discussing first the softening of boundaries between the sacred and the secular and then the generation of meaning and purpose through the core themes raised by these events and installations.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2022-08-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v78i4.7827
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 78, No 4 (2022); 11 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7827/23012 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7827/23013 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7827/23014 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7827/23015
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Ursula McKenna, Leslie J. Francis, Francis Stewart https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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