ABSTRACT
Contexts: religion in contemporary cultures and museums ‘Religion’ and ‘beliefs’ are complex and revealing strands of diversity in museums and galleries and now the focus for programmes and research after a strangely long silence. There are, however, few museums that prioritise presenting and interpreting religions, yet religious beliefs are now, more than ever, a major area of public discussion, controversy and media attention, prejudice and misunderstanding. Most museums and galleries have material that relates to religions and other beliefs, but usually without any consistent approach to it. As a profession, we are still cautious about entering this particular secret garden.
