American Sacred Space in the Twenty-first Century
Americans have always been ambivalent about the sacredness of their land, which has made American sacred space a story of perpetual conflict.
Are national parks really America’s best idea?
The “best idea” of creating national parks involved eradicating the previous meanings and uses of these places that had sustained indigenous cultures for centuries.
Elvis religion and the sacred space 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?
Detourist in a Holy Land
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.
San Antonio Missions Added to the World Heritage List
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 so are the Newark Earthworks…