Conclusion 

It seems that in an increasingly fragmented and global society individuals can develop religious as well as cultural aspirations. These may grow from their exposure to the faiths of the ?other? but are not necessarily reflecting faith of their own culture or family. For some people in the West this may mean looking towards Eastern faiths, influenced by meditation and yoga, for those in the East it can mean choosing to return to faith with renewed vigour.   People can make decisions on how, what and where to worship and many chose not to but may continue to believe in or at least not totally disregard the notion that there is a god or a spiritual path worth treading as Brown (2001) suggests. Robbins argues that whilst globalisation does have a fragmenting affect on cultures and individuals sense of self and place, and the growth in fundamentalism can be attributed to the fear of, it does not necessarily lead to homogenised culture. What ?globalisation actually brings into existence is a new basis for thinking about the relation between cultural convergence and cultural difference? (Robbins, 2003: 42). Religious museums offer exactly that: a space to experience the convergence of cultures in a generally positive way. As Raymond a volunteer guide at the Museum of World Religions stated, ?I was in the USA when September 11 happened and I know what that feels like. This place helps towards an understanding of world peace?? (Raymond, 2006)

Museums of religion function as  ?cultural stations? (Burns, 2000: 95) rather than religious ones and that there may be similar benefits to visitors in experiencing culturally significant sites in terms of what Durkhein categorises as the importance of religion in developing social cohesion. For many tourist visitors this appreciation of other cultures as interpreted in museums is part of the process of having learned not just how to gaze but where. Urry shows how this gaze is developed though examining MacCannell?s argument that ?there is normally a process of sacralization that renders a particular natural and cultural object as a sacred object of the tourist ritual? (Urry, 10: 2002). One potential conclusion may be that for those without faith there will be a lack of religiosity brought to the gaze when consuming religious objects in the museum. For those with faith the secular nature of the museum changes the way that these objects are viewed. 

For the religious or irreligious alike the act of visiting museums is a way of engaging with the notion of what it is to be human when faced with the cultural objects which reflect human activity. What is clear is that all museum visits regardless of exhibit themes reflect the global nature of the consumer society and museums are actively courting consumers of culture. For many that means taking the opportunity to develop a personal faith or sense of spirituality based on consumer choice or they can chose only to ?window shop? taking interest in and pleasure from the selection of religious options on display within the department store of faith that is the museum of religion. Indeed as Miller argues individuality can be shaped through shopping (Miller, 1998). It seems likely though than only the already converted will seek to buy.