Strategies of endangered religious heritage buildings

Abstract

This article discusses strategies for the preservation of Christian religious heritage, specifically Catholic and Protestant, in a context marked by secularization and religious deinstitutionalization. The retraction of congregations and the consequent emptying of churches come out with the need of rethinking the uses of such buildings, which become expensive and obsolete. We put emphasis on the analysis of their different uses, not just focus on demolition, the most radical action. The argument is based on documents from lay and religious institutions, available academic literature and fieldwork in two European countries, specifically England and The Netherlands.

Keywords
religious heritage; preservation; new uses