Ruth Mason
MA work
MA work
Title of Dissertation: Religious Space and Religious Practice – The design of nineteenth-century metropolitan Wesleyan space, 1861–1901

Previous studies in religious history have conventionally focused on official doctrinal and theological developments. Those focusing on the history of Protestant nonconformity have also overlooked its material culture and design, maintaining the pervasive belief that it had no material tradition. Taking late nineteenth-century metropolitan Wesleyanism as its case study, this dissertation challenges these historiographical trends. Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s theories of space, it considers locations of Wesleyan practice as spaces created by a combination of architectural form, material objects, use and users. Using this definition of space, it compares the ideal designs of Wesleyan spaces officially promoted by the denomination’s leadership, with the nature of the spaces actually implemented by metropolitan followers. It thus develops a spatial approach to the design of religious locations in order to explore how Wesleyanism was practised rather than prescribed.

After opening with a discussion of the ideal character of Wesleyan space, this study goes on to investigate the implemented designs of metropolitan chapels and circuits. It concludes that although Wesleyan followers made attempts to achieve the ideals, in practice these aims were often impractical, unproductive or undesirable. Divergence from the ideal most commonly took one of two forms: being more heavily influenced by contemporary society than desired, or placing a greater emphasis on particular aspects of Wesleyan spaces’ theological goals, to the detriment of others. On occasion, such deviations resulted in the theological motivations of the movement being undermined; more often, they obtained the denomination’s theological aims to greater effect.

Info
Info
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MA Degree
School
School of Humanities
Programme
MA History of Design, 2012
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Contact
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Title of Dissertation: Religious Space and Religious Practice – The design of nineteenth-century metropolitan Wesleyan space, 1861–1901

Previous studies in religious history have conventionally focused on official doctrinal and theological developments. Those focusing on the history of Protestant nonconformity have also overlooked its material culture and design, maintaining the pervasive belief that it had no material tradition. Taking late nineteenth-century metropolitan Wesleyanism as its case study, this dissertation challenges these historiographical trends. Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s theories of space, it considers locations of Wesleyan practice as spaces created by a combination of architectural form, material objects, use and users. Using this definition of space, it compares the ideal designs of Wesleyan spaces officially promoted by the denomination’s leadership, with the nature of the spaces actually implemented by metropolitan followers. It thus develops a spatial approach to the design of religious locations in order to explore how Wesleyanism was practised rather than prescribed.

After opening with a discussion of the ideal character of Wesleyan space, this study goes on to investigate the implemented designs of metropolitan chapels and circuits. It concludes that although Wesleyan followers made attempts to achieve the ideals, in practice these aims were often impractical, unproductive or undesirable. Divergence from the ideal most commonly took one of two forms: being more heavily influenced by contemporary society than desired, or placing a greater emphasis on particular aspects of Wesleyan spaces’ theological goals, to the detriment of others. On occasion, such deviations resulted in the theological motivations of the movement being undermined; more often, they obtained the denomination’s theological aims to greater effect.

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Degrees
- BA (Hons), History of Art, St John's College, University of Oxford, 2010
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Experience
- House steward, Mompesson House, National Trust, Salisbury, 2009; Internship in the development department, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2008–9; Research assistant, Polesden Lacey, National Trust, 2010–11
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Awards
- Oliver Ford Trust Scholarship, Royal College of Art, 2010–12; Gillian Naylor Award, Royal College of Art, 2011