James is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He is the author of five books, most recently Materializing the Bible: Scripture, Sensation, Place. His current research focuses on the secondhand circulation of Christian material culture.
I spoke with James about his path into studying material religion and why materiality is essential for understanding religious practice. We discussed the Bible as a powerful object, how creativity functions in the context of literal interpretations of Scripture, and the ways religious artifacts circulate, gaining new meanings and values. James shared insights on the remixing of objects, the journey of the Gauchi brothers’ Holy Land model, and the ethics of collecting and selling Christian items. We also talked about how we can be surprised by material culture, the role of intentionality, and how secondhand spaces reveal both the endurance and transformation of Christianity in everyday life, especially in relation to popular culture.