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Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time

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A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 31815

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Prof. Dr. Fátima Matos Silva

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Tourism, Heritage and Culture Department, Portucalense University, Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida Street, n.º 541/619, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: humanities and social sciences, with a focus on archaeology; cultural heritage; preventive conservation; heritage management and spatial planning and sustainable development; impacts and threats to cultural heritage; heritage interpretation and enhancement; museology; universal accessibility; accessibility of heritage; cultural tourism; religious and accessible tourism; pilgrimages
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Prof. Dr. Isabel Borges

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IESF - Instituto de Estudos Superiores de Fafe, Lda; Rua Universitária - Medelo, Apartado 178, 4824-909 Fafe, Portugal
Interests: religious material culture; religion and popular culture; religious tourism; cultural tourism; pilgrimages; cultural heritage; Heritage Interpretation and Enhancement; universal accessibility

Prof. Dr. Helena Albuquerque

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Tourism, Heritage and Culture Department, Portucalense University, Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida Street, n.º 541/619 | 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: religious heritage; religion and popular culture; heritage interpretation and enhancement; regional planning; sustainability; universal accessibility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first expressions of what we currently understand as materializations of religiosity have been expressed since prehistoric times, through material culture, in objects made of stone, bone, or through elements engraved or painted on various supports, especially in the stone walls of caves now known worldwide, such as Lascaux or Altamira.

Since those distant times, humanity has continued to express the most diverse religious cults through objects, i.e., material culture, which it produces on the most diverse supports. These elements of material culture (objects, sculptures, scrolls) are kept religiously, passed down from generation to generation, venerated, bought, sold, being recent or ancient creations and works of art, but always expressing memory and spirituality as the support of an almost infinite variety of religious beliefs, which also materialized in almost infinite forms of material exteriorisation.

Through the materialization of belief, people express what they feel in the objects they exchange, display, worship, and in the spaces that they adapt and build. By investigating this materializing culture, we appropriate spirituality, religious devotion, symbolism, the feelings of those who produce them and build the history of religions.

Likewise, through the ages, with greater incidence in modern times, religious material culture generates a flow of thousands of pilgrims and visitors associated to the souvenir trade, which has also allowed the social and economic sustainability of the populations of various places in the world, related to different religions (Fatima, Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Vatican, Assisi, Mecca, Varanasi—India, Lahsa—Tibet, Western Wall—Israel and many others).

However, the production of scientific literature on these and related themes is still scarce. With this Special Issue we intend to fill these gaps, encouraging researchers from different areas, in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary way, diachronically and/or synchronically, and in a transversal manner, to explore the possibilities of investigation of the various forms of expression of religiosity through material culture.

Prof. Dr. Fátima Matos Silva
Prof. Dr. Isabel Borges
Prof. Dr. Helena Albuquerque
Guest Editors

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Keywords

religious material culture
religion and commerce
religion and museums
religion and historic art
protohistoric religion and material culture
art and religion
religious tourism and material culture
religious places and regional planning
universal accessibility in religious places
pilgrimages and material culture
contemporary religious material culture
religions and cultural heritage
symbolism and semiotics of religious material culture

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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11 pages, 4864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interpretation of Funerary Spaces in Roman Times: Insights from a Nucleus of Braga, NW Iberian Peninsula

by Cristina Braga, Jorge Ribeiro, Luis Fontes and Ana Fragata

Religions 2023, 14(9), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091185 - 17 Sep 2023

Viewed by 936

Abstract

The funerary/cult archeological nucleus of Rua do Raio (Braga, in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula) was discovered between 2007 and 2009, under the excavation works of a necropolis of Bracara Augusta. This building exhibits a set of particularities that confirms its archeological importance. It is a construction dating from the middle of the 1st century AD, subject to two reforms, one in the second half of the 1st century AD and another in the 2nd century AD, with a trapezoidal shape and comprising ten rectangular tanks rendered with opus signinum mortars. It shows a unique architectural configuration in the city, as well as in the Portuguese territory, and the space is under musealization, together with a set of graves identified in the same archeological intervention. The present investigation contextualizes the funerary and religious architecture of the city. Its description is presented, highlighting its relevance, and an interpretative possibility is formulated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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23 pages, 3989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determining the Characteristics of Faith-Themed Routes in Order to Receive an International Certificate: Studies on St. Paul’s Travels

by Meryem Elif Çelebi Karakök

Religions 2023, 14(9), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091097 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1464

Abstract

The religious journeys of humanity and their components are now recognized as cultural heritage values. UNESCO, WHC, ICOMOS, CIIC, and COE are organizations that actively work and issue international certificates for the protection, promotion, and survival of religious routes. These organizations have certified 14 faith-based routes as of 2023. A route’s certification is critical since it allows the route to be recognized globally and accessible to international tourism. However, each institution has its own set of requirements to obtain these certificates. When all religious cultures are examined, 14 routes are insufficient to explain the phenomenon of religion to today’s people. For this reason, it is beneficial to increase the current number by re-activating the religious routes that have affected large masses. Many countries apply every year to obtain certificates from these organizations with various route studies. However, many applications are rejected as insufficient. Therefore, the goal of this study is to determine the effective criteria for religious routes to receive international certification. In this regard, St. Paul’s Route stands out for its extensive geography spanning 12 countries and international potential. St. Paul is regarded as the most important figure in the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Anatolia and Europe. However, the St. Paul Routes being implemented do not meet the criteria of the any certificates. But the authentic St. Paul Route has the potential to receive certification from all organizations. In this research, the criteria required for the St. Paul Route to be certified by international organizations were investigated. A certified St. Paul Route will benefit many issues, including inter-religious dialogue between 12 countries, international cooperation, world peace, and sustainable tourism. It is thought to be an exemplary route with these features. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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16 pages, 2953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pilgrimages on the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela: Evolution and Motivations

by Fátima Matos Silva, José Luis Braga, Miguel Pazos Otón and Isabel Borges

Religions 2023, 14(8), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081017 - 8 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2433

Abstract

This research paper is based on the study of the evolution of pilgrimages on the Santiago Way, highlighting the Portuguese Way to Santiago—Central Portuguese Way and Coastal Portuguese Way—which has experienced massive popularity over the years. The primary objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the pilgrims’ motivations to undertake the Santiago Way pilgrimage. A mixed methods approach is adopted based on the simultaneous use of quantitative and qualitative data. So, an analysis of secondary data, provided by the Oficina del Peregrino de la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela and by the Municipal Department of Cultural Heritage Management of Porto is combined with a thematic analysis of seven interviews with stakeholders of the Portuguese Way to Santiago. The findings suggest that there is an increase in cultural and sports motivations, although spiritual and religious motivations continue to have a strong presence. The ecumenical character of the Santiago Way is also proved, given the large number of pilgrims of religions other than the Catholic one, who travel these paths—the vast territories that are traversed—until reaching the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. A new paradigm still needs to be registered, perceptible in the rise of Turigrims, pilgrims who benefit from support services that mitigate the hardships of the way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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16 pages, 2822 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Cultural Encounters: Religious Motifs in Lattimo Glass from China to Italy

by Xue Gong, Zhongqu Xie, Xiangyu Liu and Bianca De Divitiis

Religions 2023, 14(7), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070932 - 19 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2253

Abstract

This paper focuses on lattimo glass, also known as milk glass, and analyzes the influence of Chinese porcelain on its creation in Venice through the study of its transmission path and revival. It also explores the role of religion in the glass trade between China and Italy from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, with a particular focus on religious iconography. By relying on previous research on the religious iconography of glass during this period and analyzing precious glass objects, this paper aims to examine the brief popularity and decline of lattimo glass as an imitation of Chinese Ming porcelain in the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries, as well as the significance and impact of religious iconography on lattimo glass during the eighteenth century. The paper approaches the process of the introduction of Chinese aesthetics in Europe during this period from three angles: the origin of lattimo glass, the cross-media imitation and innovation of Chinese religious iconography, and cultural interaction. This process highlights the crucial role of influential religious imagery in the formation of cross-cultural communication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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16 pages, 14155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Visual Communication and Evangelizing Art in the Temple of San Francisco of La Paz (Bolivia)

by Josefina Leonor Matas Musso and Fátima Matos Silva

Religions 2023, 14(7), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070894 - 11 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1832

Abstract

The temple of San Francisco de La Paz is one of the best examples of the mestizo baroque style in Bolivia. The richness of the interior of the temple contributes to creating a theatrical and symbolic space, intending to evangelize and transmit the new values of the Catholic faith, through its iconographic programme. Our analysis highlights the differentiation of interior space using altarpiece programmes, thus evidencing how interior architecture is used for communication purposes. We conclude that interior space is transformed for evangelizing purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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16 pages, 1922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Transition Period Ritual of the Karay Turks: Death

by Emine Atmaca, Reshide Gözdaş, Ekin Kaynak Iltar, Rabia Akçoru and Süleyman Ertan Tağman

Religions 2023, 14(7), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070870 - 4 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1715

Abstract

Karaism is a Jewish sect that emerged in the Middle Ages and became the name of a Turkish tribe in time. Its name is derived from “kara- (K-R-A)”, meaning “the ones who can read the sacred scripture” in Aramaic–Hebrew. The Karaites are members of the Jewish Karai sect, which only accepts the Torah. This feature naturally causes many differences. One of the main differences observed is the rituals for an individual in the death transition period, an important phase of human life. In this study, the death-themed core beliefs of the Karaites, which are brought from the roots of the Turkish genealogical tree, and the rituals that are combined with Judaism are analyzed. The differences stemming from geography and contacts with diverse cultures (such as Russian, Lithuanian, Polish, Belarussian, etc.) and the similarities in the rituals at the time of death and afterward stand out, especially funerals, which comprise the mourning traditions performed during and after the funerals belonging to the Karaites living in Crimea and Lithuania. Texts and words compiled from the Karay Turks living in Trakai, Lithuania, and the data acquired via observations are used to determine this information. In particular, the studies of Yuriy Aleksandroviç Polkanov, the head of the Crimean Karaites Association, are used for the data related to Crimean Karaites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

21 pages, 5175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Development and Modern Transformation of Material Culture in the Worship of Mazu

by Yanchao Zhang, Chenjingyue Wu and Xiangbo Liu

Religions 2023, 14(7), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070826 - 23 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2144

Abstract

Based on fieldwork and the analysis of the historical literature, this article studies the development of material culture in the cult of popular goddess Mazu, exploring in particular the materialization mechanisms and strategies deployed by various actors in her worship nowadays. Through the ages, people in China have expressed their religious feelings and experiences in the objects they display, worship, and exchange, as well as in the spaces that they build and inhabit. In this process, religious beliefs are externalized in forms of material culture, including symbols, texts, relics, music, and temples. As a result, these artifacts and places carry individual and collective memories and affects that allow believers to experience religion not only at special events like festivals and pilgrimages, but in everyday life. In modern China, the connotations and forms of material carriers have diversified. The rise of souvenirs and other forms of cultural consumption have transformed the materialization of religiosity. In the worship of Mazu, the relationship between pilgrimage, tourism, entertainment, and the production and circulation of commodities has become increasingly tight, changing the cult’s beliefs and their physical expression. That connection also brings social and economic sustenance to the local community. Taking the Mazu Temple in Meizhou as a case, this paper adopts a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to examine the pilgrimage–tourism–commerce nexus, as well as other contemporary forms of the materialization of her cult. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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24 pages, 3238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Paradisi porta—An Iconographic Analysis of Mary as a Humanity’s Mediator in the Light of Medieval Liturgical Hymns

by José María Salvador-González

Religions 2023, 14(2), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020284 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2108

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the rich doctrinal meanings underlying the textual and iconic designation of the Virgin Mary as the gate of Heaven, a highly brilliant metaphor used by writers and artists to symbolize her saving mediation before her divine Son on behalf of humankind. To justify our interpretations of this textual and iconic symbol, we will proceed first by analyzing an abundant set of fragments of medieval liturgical hymns, which designate the Virgin Mary as the “gate of Paradise” (porta Paradisi) or “gate of Heaven” (ianua Coeli) and other expressions alluding to her power to facilitate the eternal salvation of the faithful. In a second step, we will analyze ten sculptural and pictorial artworks that represent Mary as the gate of celestial paradise or the mediator before God in favor of believers to facilitate their eternal salvation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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19 pages, 2652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gold, Skin, and Body: Chinese Buddha Statues Are Constantly Being Shaped and Stripped

by Xiangyu Liu and Xinyi Huang

Religions 2023, 14(2), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020155 - 28 Jan 2023

Viewed by 3748

Abstract

The brilliant effect of the Buddha not only strengthens Buddhist believers’ psychological effects of worship, consecration, and showing off of merits, but also becomes an important dissemination method to attract the public to join in. Starting from the golden skin of ancient Buddha statues, this paper analyzes the relevant historical documents and unearthed objects of gilded Buddha statues in ancient India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China and pays attention to the body decoration and technology dissemination as well as the process and influence of Chinese localization. In traditional Buddhist culture, gold technology and its application have an important impact on artistic expression, appearance protection, and the psychology of Buddhist statues. In the Late Tang Dynasty, the government and Buddhism suffered conflicts between supply and demand due to gold resources. The forced stripping of gilded Buddha statues became a historical epitome reflecting the deep social and economic problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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16 pages, 321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecclesiastical Museums and the Pontifical Letter on Its Pastoral Functions

by Maria Isabel Roque

Religions 2023, 14(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010096 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2604

Abstract

The Catholic Church arrogates a long tradition of protecting and using heritage to complement its evangelisation ministry from the medieval ecclesiastical treasures included in museology proto-history. While these treasures have adopted museographic features, other typologies of ecclesiastical museums have appeared, demanding regulations that could orient their activities. After the Second Vatican Council, the Church became increasingly focused on guaranteeing a worthy destination for the objects left over from worship. In 2001, the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church published the Circular Letter The pastoral function of ecclesiastical museums, establishing that the ecclesiastical museum is an adequate solution for these objects, keeping them close to the cultural group of origin and providing continuity to its original catechetical function. Two decades later, a critical analysis of the Letter is proposed in the theoretical frame of museum studies. Considering the recovery object’s original meaning in the museum discourse, the connection to territory, and the interaction with the plural and heterogeneous audience, the conformity of the Letter with the museum theory is underlined. With a focus on its general accuracy, the aim of this study is to evaluate how the Letter remains actualised and adapted to contemporaneity in addition to the challenges and transformations now faced by museums. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

18 pages, 12492 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trade and the Mosque: An Investigation of Commercial Activities and Mosques in Antalya with Spatial, Legal and Functional Recommendations

by Büşra Selin Kepenek, Engin Kepenek and İbrahim Bakır

Religions 2022, 13(10), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13100958 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2267

Abstract

Expenditures, such as repair, heating and lighting costs, and payment of mosque staff’s salaries, are the main cost items that need to be satisfied for mosques to continue their services. Throughout history, these expenses have been met sometimes with the state budget, sometimes through waqfs and associations, and sometimes with the cash aid provided by the people directly in Turkey. Adding a commercial function to the mosque, which was built for the sake of continuous income, has been seen in the history of Turkey since the Ottoman period. However, the commercial units dedicated to the mosque during this period were not always close to the mosque; sometimes they could also be located in very remote location. Today, a type of structure is built which can be called a trade and religious building in the lower floor of the mosque, or as a part of the same floor due to space shortage, cost reduction etc. This type of building, which was interpreted with different perspectives, caused problems in terms of perceptibility, ratio and proportion, visuality, accessibility, noise pollution, and the moral values of the mosque, and even became the subject of lawsuits for the closure of commercial functions. In this context, the commercial functions that the mosques added to the structure in order to find financial resources were examined throughout the city center of Antalya. Accordingly, the architectural projects and zoning status of the 15 identified mosques were examined, and a spatial and configuration analysis was made. The functionality of the mosques was discussed with the mosque community, its officials, and the people in the area close to the mosque via focus group discussions, and examples of the issue brought to the judiciary were examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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11 pages, 3138 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Two Pre-Islamic Places of Worship in the Tourism Landscape of the UAE

by Adriaan De Man

Religions 2022, 13(8), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13080715 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3291

Abstract

As suggested by the title, this paper explores two of the several archaeological sites that configure religious loci in the territory of the current United Arab Emirates. It does so by assessing their relevance, by refining their nature and historical context, and by analyzing their positioning as components of a tourism mix. The core research question is whether or not integration is accomplished. Both structures are quite well known in the academic literature and underwent excavation and conservation investments that allow their proper use and promotion. Discussion and conclusions identify challenges for achieving an appropriate integration with conditioning supply factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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17 pages, 6991 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Performativity of the Memory of Religious Places through Sound and Image

by Frederico Dinis

Religions 2023, 14(9), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091137 - 5 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1086

Abstract

In this essay, we explore and deepen the confluence between sound and image, linking and relating concepts, purposes and coherence of artistic practices mediating and reconfiguring the memory of religious places. We observed that the performativity of memory, as an autobiographical concept, can be enhanced through live audiovisual performances in religious places. We have established that the performativity of memory in religious places can promote a spatial ‘self’, creating dynamic, immersive and physical experiences in the religious places. And we argue that the construction of this spatial ‘self’ involves processes of social and artistic reconfiguration that contribute to transforming not only the social dynamics within the community but also the artistic representations of memory. These main findings were reached following a process of research through artistic practice, thus a systematization of the processes involved in approaching three religious places. It also assumes the (de)construction of the sense of place throughout a personal reading on the mediation through nonverbal means. In this research, we also observed that the aesthetic and performative configurations can have an impact on the most individual manifestations of religion, religiosity and religious belief, influencing the interpretation and creation of meaning, evoking emotional and spiritual responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Culture and Religion: Perspectives over Time)

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