• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BOB JONES UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND GALLERY

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Greenville, South Carolina

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

Bob Jones University is one of the best known Christian colleges in the South.  Among other things it is home to a hidden gem, the BJU Museum and Gallery, which houses an excellent collection of religious artwork and books.  Although also a secular art museum, it is famous for its variety of religious exhibits which include antique Bibles, Orthodox icons, Catholic paintings and even a recreation of the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey in London.

History

Bob Jones Sr. was one of the most famous evangelists in American history.  Primarily active from 1900 to the 1960s, his ministry was arguably the first major evangelistic movement of the 20th century.  He was a pioneer in the use of radio to reach a wider audience, and by the 1920s his broadcasts were heard up and down the Eastern seaboard.  Jones remained an active evangelist almost until his death in 1968.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

In 1925, Bob Jones was profoundly moved by the Scopes Monkey Trial, which essentially paved the way for Evolution to be taught in schools.  Concerned about the ever increasing secularization of American education, he decided to found a school as a Christian alternative to public institutions.  This went on to be Bob Jones University, and after moving from Florida to Tennessee, BJU found a permanent home in South Carolina in 1947.

Bob Jones University went on to become his greatest legacy.  Jones devoted his life to the school, spending much of his time and personal fortune to keep it going through lean times.  Throughout the last few decades of his life, one of his pet projects was to create an on-campus museum featuring one of the finest college collections of religious pieces.

The BJU Museum and Gallery has gone on to have some of the most impressive exhibits of any college outside of the major seminaries in the northeast.  Interestingly, the museum has drawn some criticism from Protestant groups due to its inclusion of Catholic and Orthodox pieces.  In recent years, the museum has hosted an annual Easter living gallery, where famous pieces of religious artwork are reenacted by living people.

Visiting

The Bob Jones University Museum occupies its own building on the BJU campus.  Much of its art was acquired in the years following World War II.  There are many paintings by some of history’s great artists.  The museum’s best known piece is The Progress of Religion Revealed, seven large paintings originally created for King George III.  There is also an exhibit of Russian icons on display.

BJU is also home to the Mack Library, where many of the university’s other religious treasures are kept.  Among these is the Jerusalem Chamber, a recreation of a room from London’s storied Westminster Abbey.  It was in the Jerusalem Chamber in 17th century that the first edition of the King James Bible was prepared.  The BJU version is home to a collection of rare Bibles.

The BJU Museum and Gallery and the Mack Library are located in the middle of the Bob Jones University campus, approximately three miles northeast of Greenville.  It is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 2:00pm-5:00pm.  The cost of admission is $5.00.  Web: www.bjumg.org (official website).

Filed Under: Historic Bible, Museums and Libraries, Protestant Tagged With: US-South

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.