"You know all is fictional, but the beating heart is real" : Time travels on museums and religion in a post-secular society

This thesis explores the use of time travels in Swedish museums as an educational tool, with focus on if and how the time travel method touches, portrays and reflects upon the subject of religion. The thesis is based on primarily two case studies of two Swedish museums. The county museum of Kalmar, located in Kalmar, and the county and open-air museum Jamtli, located in Östersund. Both of which have been working with time travels during a long period of time, hence developed a well-established function to the educational activities of the museum. The study also derives from an international perspective – the time travel organization Bridging Ages. To shine light on the attitudes, reflections and functions of the time travel method, together with the perspective of religion, the research has been carried out through interviews with staff of the museums along with lectures and discussions during the Bridging Ages conference. Hence, the research applies a qualitative methodology. The theoretical framework is bisectional. To elucidate relevant aspects of the time travel method, the use of history has been the analytical tool to implement this. Moreover, the notion of the post-secular society is the other theoretical tool to examine and analyse the respondents’ attitudes and reasoning about religion on time travel activities. Based on the theoretical framework and qualitative methodology that applies on the case studies and the Bridging Ages conference, it can be stated that there are many similarities that encompass the time travel method within each institution. It is a hands-on and interactive method that uses all senses, which increases learning through both theoretical and science-based knowledge as well as practical skills. What also describes as vital for the time travel method is the comparisons between then and now, that forces the participants to reflect over the past, the present and the future. Furthermore, it also enables reflection of topical and sometimes difficult themes. Regarding the subject of religion within time travel activities, the study shows that the museums predominantly use religion to contextualize other subjects. Religion has its position in the background or is described as something that only occurred in the past. Therefore, it is not reflected upon nor is a subject of a time travel activity. The study has contributed to widen the conception of time travels on museums, both through analysing its current aspects and by illustrating the subject of religion in time travels and its agency in activities within museums – both as a historical and a contemporary phenomenon. This is a two years master’s thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies.