Thursday, 18 December 2008
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12 Awesomely-Designed Churches
So my last post about Christian creativity, Less Zefron, More Jesus: Sunday School Musical, generated quite a bit of lament that most modern-day Christian "art" isn't as original or creative as it could be. I happen to agree; I think we can do MUCH better in terms of glorifying a creator God, as evidenced by these super awesome church and cathedral buildings:
Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), in Nuremberg, Germany
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool, England
La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain
Interesting tidbit: It's been under construction since 1882!
Ulm Cathedral in Germany has the world's tallest cathedral spire.
St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City
La Lajas Cathedral in Colombia
Church of St. George, Lalibela, Ethiopia.
Interesting tidbit: This church, which was built in the 13th century, is made of a single rock!
HallgrÃmskirkja in Reykjavik, Iceland
The Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado
Notre Dame in Paris
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
Have you been to any of these places? Which cathedrals would you like to visit one day?
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Comments (57)
I've been to both Notre Dame in Paris and the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Both are amazing buildings with some absolutely beautiful art inside and out. But it saddens me that some of the modern structures were ever built. We have churches that are barely surviving and missionaries that are greatly underfunded, yet we continue to build larger buildings, most of which spend too much on details that add nothing to the worship experience. So I love the old cathedrals and chapels, but I hope we never put that much money into creating a building while there are still those who are dying without knowing the Lord.
http://www.krt.com.hk/modules/xoopsgallery/cache/albums/20076/familyVenue.jpg
Modern church building in Hong Kong. : )
Catholics sure are good at building houses for God. There is nothing wrong with having these beautiful buildings, and contrary to popular belief, they were not "expensive" like the modern structures. The ancient cathedrals were built by skilled peasants and workers who gladly gave their time and strength to create these masterpieces which are the perfect embodiment of places to worship, meditate, pray, and seek communion with Jesus Christ. I long for the day when people value such buildings once again and tear down the modernist monstrosities that pass for sacred buildings to-day.
@knlwinters@xanga - I was in another country once and we toured the city and saw amazing buildings that were so beautiful. It never dawned on me they could be hinderances. Then I was trying to witness to people, kids my own age, and some of them had a hard time grasping the concept of a loving, giving God. One kept asking why there were people that were homeless and dying on the grounds of these churches. Why were they still starving when the church obviously had money to feed them. The fronts of these churches at the altars and such were basically pure gold.
Beauty, yes. Artistic and creative, yes. But for what purpose?
I've been to St. Peter's in Vatican City and Notre Dame in Paris. Both beautiful places!
this is all pleasing to our eyes, but is God pleased?
if we were to build our edifices like this... that would be amazing...
considering that these places helped the people coming in to force their gaze upward and resize the incoming worshippers... which is definitely needed compared to the churches today where you need to build the hippest coolest looking office building...
@MissSweetG11@xanga - Of course God is pleased with good and beautiful things. God created a beautiful world and He loves it when we act like Him and create other beautiful things - especially if they're made for worshipping Him. I would never make something ugly and claim that God liked it better because it wasn't beautiful. Can you imagine giving something ugly to your spouse and then claiming that you thought they'd like it better because you intentionally made it ugly?
@CircularParade83@xanga - These churches were not built with a vast and huge treasury of money that the Church hoarded whilst not giving money to the poor. These were generally built by peasants who willfully cave their time and strength to complete them. Some of these structures took several hundred years to build. They were done slowly and methodically over long periods of time. Secondly, these structures were built ages ago. Just because there are people who are starving and homeless now doesn't mean that the Church is withholding money from anybody. The very same Church that built these beautiful buildings is the same Church that spends much of its time and money feeding the poor in many inner cities. The diocese of Rome alone has an annual budget of 22 million dollars - 15 million goes solely to charity. Yes, some people are homeless and starving near these buildings, but the Church is always open to them and the number of ways these people can be helped is innumerable.
@MysteriumFidei@xanga - Considering that these kids I spoke to actually live in the country and they themselves as well as those they know are the ones the churches had turned their backs on when asking for help, I believe them over you. No offense.
@CircularParade83@xanga - Well, that's certainly awful and I would never condone them, but I still don't see why that's an argument for making ugly buildings in which to worship God.
@MysteriumFidei@xanga -
You really have a longing for the day people prefer old architecture over new? That's just weird. And since when did the design of a building determine whether its sacred or not? Would a tent pitched in the wilderness be sacrilege?
@MysteriumFidei@xanga - nope not at all, i was just posing a question. i just get concerned because i see all these beautiful churches and cathedrals, yet the people inside and immediately outside are only awed by their beauty because the power of God is not dwelling there (hypothetically and through experience with interactions of people that attend such places of worship) nor in the people that attend. Are their lives changed? are they serving God in their every way? that's all im wondering...no judgment passed. they sure are beautiful
@nyclegodesi24@xanga - No, it wouldn't be sacrilege. It would be fine if that's all you could do. But building a house for God is important and the One for whom you make things should determine a lot about how you do it. If you're not meeting in graveyards or in shipwrecked boats because of persecution (as much of the early Christians did), then there is nothing wrong with building a beautiful house for God. The Israelites worshipped in tents for hundreds of years, but when the time came, God wanted a beautiful house built for His worship. For almost three hundred years, Christians worshipped underground, in people's homes, and in cemetaries and the like. And when Christianity could finally emerge in a less tyrannical society, people responded by building great churches for God's glory. And there is nothing wrong with that. I would much rather have a beautiful looking church over an ugly one.
The design doesn't determine whether or not it's sacred. The fact that the building is going to be used for sacred space should determine how people design it. Even when Christians were in persecution in North Africa in the second century, the people did not hesitate to adorn the altars with their gold possessions, even when they were worshipping in graveyards and underground. For all the complaints about big churches neglecting poor people, I wonder if any of the people making those complaints have any luxuries of their own. Maybe a stereo system or a video game box? A nice computer perhaps? If it's so disconcerting that nice churches are built and the poor are neglected, then sell your possessions and go help the poor.
Our church met in a gymnasium for years, because we didn't have the resources to build a nice altar and sanctuary. The people of the parish got together, pooled their resources, and within a few years, we created a beautiful place to worship. And we all worked for free and freely donated our time and money to have this place. And we still feed the poor.
@MissSweetG11@xanga - Why would you say that God does not dwell in these churches? If the Blessed Sacrament is there, Jesus is there regardless. And if you're going to have Jesus in a house of His own, wouldn't you rather give Him something beautiful as opposed to something ugly?
A beautiful building doesn't mean that lives cannot be changed or that people aren't devoted to God. Some of the greatest saints in history worshipped every day in buildings like these.
well many people strive for the best things in life. The best looking house, the best looking car, ect. Why cant we give God our best?? but i do want to say that it isnt the building it is this: is God present and are lives being changed?? that is what matters. But I want to strive to give God my best.....
Why you didn't include the Hagia Sophia is beyond me.
Here's another good link.
Those building are beautiful - I hope one day to see some of them in person! I agree that many of them were built over very many years using labour that didn't require alot of money.
However, the fact remains that in today's society certain churches are built that do costs millions and millions of dollars. The church building is not the house of God. In the OT He had a place to dwell - the tabernacle. In the NT - His dwelling place is mankind. Wherever people gather - there He is. You can worship in a gym or a school or a house - and it pleases God no less than those who worship in ornate cathedrals and fancy modern buildings.
In a world where so many people struggle to live, I often have to wonder if we're actually pleasing God by building so many fancy churches "in his name"? Wouldn't it be more pleasing to God to spend that money on the people of this world who need more help? No matter how much money the church in Rome donates to charity - the world still is poor. People are still hungry.
Before I get flamed, you should know that the congregation I worship in is currently raising funds to build a church building of our own after renting other building for 16 years. We're raising money slowly and our building won't be big or fancy - it will be done well so that we have a presence in our community here in BC. But most of the labour will be done by workers in our congregation so we';ll save that way - yet building costs alone will make it a building of close to 1.2 million dollars. While I'm excited to have our own church building, I do wonder ---- is this really right?
I've been to a few of these. Nuremburg, Notre Dame, and Air Force Academy. There are sooo many beautiful churches in Europe. I really want to go to that one in Colombia. =)
Cool post.
I totally agree with you as someone who took art history and majored in Design in college. I was really disappointed in the architecture and church design of a lot of protestant churches in LA. Many of them are warehouses transformed into a church, plain looking buildings, but none of them had the Catholic gothic style look that I was really desiring. I was looking for that style because I really think in a church like that, you tend to sit in awe of the atmosphere and of God. You see how much time and effort is put into making a cathedral. During the Gothic period the local people would donate money and help out so the church was really part of the community made from the sweat of the people. I'm a fan of contemporary architucture as well, but there's something in a cathedral church that a contemporary warehouse church doesn't have.
I think they look awesome.
I think that the time, effort, and money spent on them could have been used in a manner that glorified God much more, but I suppose I can appreciate the thought behind it.
I haven't visited any and don't plan to go out of my way to do so.
@MissSweetG11@xanga - I hope so.. And I hope these churches were built in honor and not in vain. I believe though for the Entity they signify, they should be pleasing to the eye... much more than any other type of building within the rest of the world. After all, who is more omnipotent than the Lord? Who should we spend our time gratifying through our architecture as well as through ourselves..... and what better way to do so than within a building dedicated for Him? What is higher than Heaven above, that such a building shouldn't be of the highest caliber?
YES! ExACTly! Here are beautiful examples of artists and artisans using their talents and gifts for the glory of God!
HallgrÃmskirkja looks butt-kicking awesome. I have to hit up Iceland one day.
I've visited St. Peter's Basilica and Notre Dame.
Others I would add to this list: the monastery church on the island of Mont St. Michel, France; the perched-atop-a-rock Orthodox monasteries of Meteora, Greece.
I would love to get married at the La Lajas Cathedral in Colombia!
As for all those talking against building these gorgeous buildings, speaking of the cost and extravagence...what would you have to say concerning the building of both the Tabernacle and the Temple in the Old Testament? Talk about extravagence! God himself chose the artisens for the former, and the latter was said to have been the most luxurious structure of its day.
@MysteriumFidei@xanga - Obviously then, I agree with you. --Laura
The Cathedral in my home town is beautiful. I don't know about it though... I tend to think that the money we use building these buildings could be used to feed the hungry or clothe the naked. At the same time, I can see how the beauty of these can be awe-inspiring and generate an act of worship... or creating these could even be an act of worship. I don't know.