from the Academy’s earliest establishment did its founders believe that a
museum was a vital part of the Academy?”
After the legal charter was granted on November 3, 1877, a Theological
School was established in Philadelphia, then a college the next year. But within
two years of its founding – even before the Boys School (1181) and Girls
School (1883) – the Academy had a museum.
But when the Academy officially
opened in 1877, William Henry
Benade and John Pitcairn – two men
who had played such a significant
role in its founding – were not there
to witness it. They had already left on
their grand tour, anxious to spread the
word about the New Church and the
Academy and to see for themselves the
land of the Bible.
They returned home with more
than 1,000 artifacts from the ancient
world. Benade said he hoped “all our
friends will bear in mind that we
shall need a Museum, and will collect
whatever they can find that may be of
use for such a purpose.”
Of their trip along the Nile, Benade
wrote glowingly about the pictures on
the walls of some of the temples, “with
profound reverence for the Divine
Being, coupled with a deep, confiding
love.”
Most Christians then focused
on the differences between ancient
religion and Christianity as the one
true faith. They would have found it
odd that a 19 th century minister would
express such interest in and admiration
for the religion of ancient Egypt.
But Benade was speaking from a
knowledge of the Five Churches. The
Writings teach that the Ancient Church
was located in Egypt and extended
throughout the ancient world. So
The museum seeks to
encourage reflection and
a sense of wonder about
religious traditions
around the world, past
and present, through
an exploration of the
cultural expressions of
faith. We hope to engage
visitors in the ongoing
dialogue about the
contemporary relevance
of spiritual belief
and practice, leading
to understanding,
empathy and, ultimately,
compassion and
tolerance for one
another in our common
human endeavor to
find meaning and
purpose in our lives.
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