Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos
This paper reflects on the challenges living religious heritage poses to contemporary museum ethics and specifically with regard to public display and accessibility. Drawing on extensive research conducted in the monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece, this study outlines the development of the m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2013-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jcms-journal.com/articles/80 |
| _version_ | 1818130991977332736 |
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| author | Georgios Alexopoulos |
| author_facet | Georgios Alexopoulos |
| author_sort | Georgios Alexopoulos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reflects on the challenges living religious heritage poses to contemporary museum ethics and specifically with regard to public display and accessibility. Drawing on extensive research conducted in the monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece, this study outlines the development of the museum concept through the organisation of treasury displays and exhibitions. It examines the ethics that underlie current approaches in the monastic community towards displaying and providing access to collections. It is emphasised that the perceived threats of touristification and museumification are at the centre of an apparent reluctance towards embracing widely adhered to principles of contemporary museology. Nevertheless, it is argued that the role of museum and heritage professionals is crucial in respecting the different value systems of the monasteries while advocating solutions that render Athonite heritage more open to the public. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:13:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ecafaa87b0264a6c8a50331332965d70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-4572 1364-0429 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:13:50Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ecafaa87b0264a6c8a50331332965d702022-12-22T01:14:49ZengUbiquity PressJournal of Conservation and Museum Studies2049-45721364-04292013-11-0111110.5334/jcms.102120857Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount AthosGeorgios Alexopoulos0Initiative for Heritage ConservancyThis paper reflects on the challenges living religious heritage poses to contemporary museum ethics and specifically with regard to public display and accessibility. Drawing on extensive research conducted in the monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece, this study outlines the development of the museum concept through the organisation of treasury displays and exhibitions. It examines the ethics that underlie current approaches in the monastic community towards displaying and providing access to collections. It is emphasised that the perceived threats of touristification and museumification are at the centre of an apparent reluctance towards embracing widely adhered to principles of contemporary museology. Nevertheless, it is argued that the role of museum and heritage professionals is crucial in respecting the different value systems of the monasteries while advocating solutions that render Athonite heritage more open to the public.http://www.jcms-journal.com/articles/80Mount Athos, Greece, monastic communities, Orthodox heritage, living religious heritage, museum ethics, treasury exhibitions, public display, public accessibility |
| spellingShingle | Georgios Alexopoulos Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies Mount Athos, Greece, monastic communities, Orthodox heritage, living religious heritage, museum ethics, treasury exhibitions, public display, public accessibility |
| title | Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos |
| title_full | Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos |
| title_fullStr | Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos |
| title_full_unstemmed | Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos |
| title_short | Living Religious Heritage and Challenges to Museum Ethics: Reflections from the Monastic Community of Mount Athos |
| title_sort | living religious heritage and challenges to museum ethics reflections from the monastic community of mount athos |
| topic | Mount Athos, Greece, monastic communities, Orthodox heritage, living religious heritage, museum ethics, treasury exhibitions, public display, public accessibility |
| url | http://www.jcms-journal.com/articles/80 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgiosalexopoulos livingreligiousheritageandchallengestomuseumethicsreflectionsfromthemonasticcommunityofmountathos |