This week, I saw the news that the American Bible Society’s Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC), a $60 million museum that landed on Philly’s Independence Mall in 2021, is closing its doors. A story in Christianity Today notes that the center “attracted fewer visitors than projected,” which is a bit of an understatement. When Kyle and I visited the developing complex in late 2019, leaders there predicted 250,000 FLDC visitors per year. It looks like the actual annual total was less than 6,000.
At the time, I was disturbed by many elements of the planned FLDC, and an onsite interview with its chief of exhibits and programs fed my worries. Here’s my story from that day. Five years later, I’m relieved that this museum (whose far-right parent organization opposes human rights around the world) could not get a foothold in Philadelphia.
Of course, every cultural institution has faced major headwinds over the last four years, no matter what their mission. But I hope FLDC’s demise demonstrates that Philly is a dynamic and pluralistic city full of people (including visitors) who know that replacing the US Constitution with the Bible, and writing non-Christians out of our history, were always rotten ideas.
That’s the city BSR serves: people who want fresh, well-founded perspectives from diverse writers and artists, and a multicultural arts scene with room for all faiths, and secular people too.
This week, we have three exciting music reviews spotlighting women artists and women’s stories through the centuries. We covered a program of showstoppers at the Philadelphia Ballet, and sent a critic to the regional premiere of The Lehman Trilogy at the Arden. More openings are coming next week, as always.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief
