Monday, January 08, 2018

The NYT on the Museum of the Bible

MUSEUM REVIEW: The Museum of the Bible Is a Safe Space for Christian Nationalists (KATHERINE STEWART, New York Times). Excerpt:
If you walk in thinking that the Bible has a single meaning, that the evidence of archaeology and history has served to confirm its truth, that it is the greatest force for good humanity has ever known and that it is the founding text of the American republic — well, then, you will leave with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

The museum is a safe space for Christian nationalists, and that is the key to understanding its political mission. The aim isn’t anything so crude as the immediate conversion of tourists to a particular variety of evangelical Christianity. Its subtler task is to embed a certain set of assumptions in the landscape of the capital.
For past posts on the Museum of the Bible and related matters, see here and follow the many links.

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