Abstracta in Concreta: Engaging Museum Collections in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Research A calendar icon

A one day research training event jointly hosted by the Department of Philosophy, University of Glasgow and Glasgow Museums. Funded by a grant from the Higher Education Academy, Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies.

Event type: Workshop

Organiser: Department of Philosophy, University of Glasgow and Glasgow Museums

Location: Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, Glasgow

Country: Great Britain

Date: 21st May 2009 to 21st May 2009

Event Webpage: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/philosophy/cpr/events/abstractainconcreta/

Contact name: Dr Philip Tonner

Contact email: philip.tonner@csglasgow.org

Details:

This collaborative research training event organised by staff from the Centre for Philosophy and Religion at the University of Glasgow and from Glasgow Museums was held in Glasgow Museums Resource Centre on the 21st May 2009. Abstracta in Concreta provided research students in philosophy, theology and religious studies with the opportunity to explore the potential of museum collections for their research. The aim of this research training seminar was to engender an understanding of the importance of material culture and museum collections generally – although our focus was on the collections held by Glasgow Museums – for research in traditionally text based disciplines such as philosophy, theology and religious studies.

Background: the Centre for Philosophy and Religion in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Glasgow was established by Dr Victoria Harrison in 2008. Prior to Abstracta in Concreta, Dr Harrison had successfully led the Philosophy of Religion Mind Mapping Project, which was also funded by a grant from the Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies in 2006-07. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) is currently being completed prior to its official opening in September 2009. GMRC was conceived as part of the major refurbishment and redisplay of Glasgow’s flagship museum Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The New Century Project saw the entire redisplay of Kelvingrove together with the building of a state of the art Resource Centre that would house Glasgow’s collection of over a million objects that are not currently on display. Crucially, GMRC will be open to the public and will provide public access to objects that would otherwise be hard to access. Glasgow Museums is unique in that it has a dedicated museum of religion. St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art opened in 1993 and displays objects from a variety of religions including Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Objects with religious significance that are not on display are stored at GMRC.

Abstracta in Concreta invited students to investigate the ‘religious significance’ of objects within the pragmatic context of a museum’s service. It provided the opportunity to discuss the significance of objects in terms of how they can be deployed in scholarly research. It also provided students with the opportunity to meet with other scholars currently conducting research into the material culture of religion.

Comments from evaluation forms included:

  • 'A fantastically interesting collection of talks and a valuable opportunity to meet people with similar interests.'
  • 'Great job, very interesting, informative and useful.'
  • 'Excellent practical exploration of concepts.'
  • 'Tour was excellent – very good insight into the work of Glasgow Museums.'
  • 'The theoretical background about using material culture will be most helpful.'

To see some pictures from the event please go to the Photos page.

Programme

09.30 Registration: Tea/Coffee

10.00 Welcome: Philip Tonner (Research Support Officer, Glasgow Museums): ‘Museum Collections and the Archaeology of Religion: a philosophical reflection’.

10.35-11.15 Leon Robinson (University Teacher, Department of Religious Education, University of Glasgow): ‘Meanings, objects, and where the truth lies’.

11.15-11.30 Tea/Coffee

11.30-12.15 Ellen McAdam (Collections Services Manager, Glasgow Museums): ‘Figurines in ancient Mesopotamia: public performance and private belief’.

12.15-12.40 Victoria Harrison (Reader, Department of Philosophy and Department of Religious Education, University of Glasgow): 'Expanding your research skills: Mind Mapping'.

12.40-13.40 Lunch

13.40-14.40 Martin Bellamy (Research and Major Projects Manager, Glasgow Museums): Tour of Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.

14:40-15.25 Elisabeth Schulte (Curator of World Religions, Glasgow Museums): ‘Making the most of Museum Collections in Philosophy and Religious Studies’.

15.25-15.40 Tea/Coffee

15.40-16.25 Wiliam Kilbride (Research Manager, Human History, Glasgow Museums): ‘Understanding the archaeology of religious conversion’

16.25-16.45 Plenary discussion and evaluation.

16.45-17.00 Closing Remarks: Victoria Harrison and Philip Tonner