Art And Architecture For Congregational Worship

A deep strain of tribal politics is dividing societies around the globe. Organized religions are also coping with scandals, disappointments, and polarizing ideologies. The history of Christianity reveals that such frictions deeply wound the church. Fr. Richard S. Vosko recognizes that liturgical buildings are metaphorical expressions of the people of God. He proposes, in a relational way, that when all physical and psychological boundaries in a place of worship are removed people will discover a common ground. Building on theological foundations and design principles, Vosko envisions what an egalitarian “servant church” can look like. In a bold but thoughtful manner, he presents progressive insights into the fields of church art and architecture.

In every church building, art and architecture become the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the local community, in preparing a place to receive God's Word and to enter more fully into communion with him. In this volume, the bishops offer instruction on how to design places of worship that are dignified, beautiful, and "suited to sacred celebrations."

More and more churches are bringing works of art into their buildings in order to enhance their worship and provide a focus for prayer and reflection. Art and Worship explores the relationship between religion and the visual arts and provides advice on how to commission works of art, how to place them, and how to hold art exhibitions in church. In Art and Worship, Anne Dawtry and Christopher Irvine survey the theological agenda for art and the Church. The authors also explore the need for communication between the Church and artists and for skill and sensitivity to the artistic dimension of worship. Art and Worship offers practical examples in commissioning works of art and shows how worship itself is art, a creative expression of our adoration and praise of God. Chapter One summarizes issues concerning the place of art in the Church. Chapter Two offers a brief history of art in the Church. Chapters Three and Four suggest the type of conversations that artists and church people should engage in. Chapter Five focuses on the relationship of art to worship. Chapter Six discusses legal ramifications congregations face when renovating churches. Chapters are "Introduction: Looking and Seeking," ?The Theological Agenda for Art and the Church, ? ?A Brief History of Art in Church, ? ?Encounter and Communication in Placing Art in Churches, ? ?Viewing Art, ? ?The Art of Worship, ? and ?Legalities, Practicalities, and Other Resources.?

New edition for congregations planning to build or renew their church facilities. Now includes elements, which have become prominent in recent times including the use of visuals, electronic instruments, and the need for flexible space to accommodate the various configurations and multiple uses to which church space is put.

Senses of the Soul explores the way art and visual elements are incorporated into Christian worship. It incorporates research conducted in Los Angeles congregations. Through extensive interviews in a sample of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox congregations it looks into the way visual elements actually become part of the experience of worship. By looking at attitudes and experiences of beauty, art, and memories, it suggests that believers appropriate images and aesthetic encounters in terms of imaginative structures that have been formed through worship practices over time. By comparing responses across denominations, the book proposes that people receive visual elements in ways that have been shaped by long traditions and specific background beliefs. In addition to discussions of the differences between the major Christian traditions, the book also examines the relation of art and beauty to worship, the role of memories and everyday life, and the power of images in spirituality and worship. By its focus on the worshiper, the book seeks to make a contribution to the growing conversation between the arts and Christian worship and to the process of worship renewal.

The last decade has seen the emergence of a whole new generation of church designs. Covering buildings across the world, Contemporary Church Architecture aims to appeal not only to architects and clergy involved directly in ecclesiastical architecture but also other practitioners and those with a broader interest in cutting-edge design. This book covers the development of contemporary church design by looking at how the rational and the sacred can be reconciled and can inform one another. It also outlines the main trends and approaches: the conflict between self-expression and expression of the sacred, between sculptural signification and functionalism. Beautifully illustrated with around 350 photographs.

This resource provides a theological and pastoral commentary of the rites used for the dedication of a new or renovated church. It is designed to accompany those who will be working on building/renovating the space as well as those who will be preparing the liturgy. It includes the full text of the newly translated rite.