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Thomas S. Bremer

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sacred space

American Sacred Space in the Twenty-first Century

November 3, 2019 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Bear Lodge

Americans have always been ambivalent about the sacredness of their land, which has made American sacred space a story of perpetual conflict.

Filed Under: Places Tagged With: civil religion, sacred space, space

Are national parks really America’s best idea?

July 21, 2019 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Ancient Puebloan ruins, Canyon de Chelly

The “best idea” of creating national parks involved eradicating the previous meanings and uses of these places that had sustained indigenous cultures for centuries.

Filed Under: History, Sacred Wonderland Tagged With: colonialism, National Parks, Native Americans, sacred space

End of semester reflections

December 13, 2018 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Barret Library at Rhodes College, Memphis

Reflections on the Fall 2018 term, another gratifying semester with enthusiastic and inquisitive students.

Filed Under: Teaching Tagged With: classes, Graceland, Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Memorial, Manzanar, Memphis, National Civil Rights Museum, Rhodes College, sacred places, sacred space, Scientology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, student learning, Superdome

Elvis religion and the sacred space of Graceland

September 25, 2018 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Grave site of Elvis Presley in the Meditation Garden of Graceland

Is Elvis a religion? Students explore this and other questions, including whether Elvis really left the building, or is he still with us in ways we never imagined?

Filed Under: Places, Teaching Tagged With: Elvis Presley, Graceland, Memphis, religion, sacred space

Detourist in a Holy Land

March 29, 2016 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Mount Rushmore Monument

On a sojourn to the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, author Tom Fate discovers the detourist’s novel ways of seeing, being, and relating.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: colonialism, detourist, Mt. Rushmore, Native American, sacred space, tourism, Travel, writing

Bucket List: National Park Places of Religion

January 11, 2016 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Medicine Wheel National Historic Monument

Aside from the opinion of many people that all national parks are sacred, many sites in the national park system have specifically religious histories, and a number of these continue to serve explicitly religious purposes. Consider, for instance: The Ebenezer Baptist Church at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia. This […]

Filed Under: Places, Sacred Wonderland Tagged With: Atlanta, Black Hills, Devils Tower, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Gloria Dei Church, Grand Teton, Martin Luther King Jr, Medicine Wheel, memorials, missions, National Parks, Native Americans, Pennsylvania, religion, religious tourism, sacred places, sacred space, San Antonio, Tetons, tourism, Wyoming, Yellowstone

San Antonio Missions Added to the World Heritage List

July 5, 2015 by Thomas S. Bremer Leave a Comment

Salazar at Mission Concepción in San Antonio

Today’s announcement from the World Heritage Committee approving the addition of five cultural sites on their World Heritage List, including the San Antonio Missions in Texas, has me wondering about the process of gaining World Heritage status. Certainly, the Spanish colonial missions in San Antonio are as deserving as any site of cultural significance, but […]

Filed Under: History Tagged With: America, Latino, missions, National Park Service, Native American, Newark Earthworks, Ohio, religious tourism, sacred places, sacred space, San Antonio, Texas, World Heritage

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I write about religion and tourism, especially in regard to national parks. I am currently working on a history of religion in Yellowstone National Park. Read More…

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