Anthropology Museum to Highlight “Invisible” Religions

“Invisible Religions in America,” the exhibit opening April 21 at Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology, draws on the museum’s collection of artifacts to illustrate American religious diversity.

The exhibit runs through August 1.

Artifacts representing numerous religious practices will “make visible the many ‘invisible’ religions that constitute the contemporary fabric of American life,” says Mary Jane Berman, the museum’s director.

Among the faiths represened will be the Buddhist, Yoruba, Coptic, Santeria, Greek Orthodox, Shinto, Jewish and Taoist. Items on display will include images of Buddha, kachina dolls, a Coptic prayer box, Islamic prayer beads, and pottery and jewelry with religious significance.

“The United States is an ethnically complex society composed of people embracing a variety of religious beliefs,” Berman says. “Our tolerance for pluralism is one of the characteristics that differentiates us from other ethnically and religiously diverse countries and societies where religious differences often result in conflict and genocide.”

The exhibit is part of the university’s Year of Religion in American Life.

Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For information, call (336) 758-5282.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events