Unlock the Secrets of Religious Thrift Culture
This eBook is part of a larger research study called the “Thrifiting Religion Project,” which aims to document the different forms of “religious material culture” found through secondhand sales and resale shop.
Thrift stores have become a robust and reliable repository for religious material culture, from books to jewelry, statues, wall decor, ritual items, toys/games, and much more.
This makes secondhand venues a vital site to explore and document what is being called “secondhand religion” or, the survival of divested religious material culture that spotlights everyday expressions of religiosity and changes in religious identities, institutions, tastes, and beliefs.
Discover what makes finding religion in Texas thrift stores so fascinating. See what’s inside this eBook today!
Since 2021, Dr. Campbell has collected and analyzed “secondhand religion“—discarded religious artifacts like prayer beads, icons, and devotional texts found in East Texas thrift stores.
Featuring eight new essays and an afterword on artifacts showcased in the Thrifted Religion Exhibition, the book is organized into three sections—Finding Religion, Doing Religion, and Selling Religion—mirroring the exhibition’s themes and offering a deeper understanding of how faith is expressed, practiced, and commodified through thrifted artifacts.
Discover how thrift stores in Texas reveal a hidden tapestry of faith—from prayer beads to Buddhist incense burners—and tell stories of spirituality, diversity, and the enduring search for meaning.
