Corporate Designing Religion

Design professionalism interwoven with strategic marketing skills and advances in the technologies of digital communication are changing the interface and conceivably the future image of religious institutions. How and to what extent does corporate design influence the identity of religious institutions in the digital era? Six denominational case studies, including multifaith, in Europe were investigated. The concluding hypotheses outline principal response indicators, supplemented by a Religious Branding Compass, to assist in identifying the religious institutions' visual identity projections.

Design professionalism interwoven with strategic marketing skills and advances in the technologies of digital communication are changing the interface and conceivably the future image of religious institutions. How and to what extent does corporate design influence the identity of religious institutions in the digital era? Six denominational case studies, including multifaith, in Europe were investigated. The concluding hypotheses outline principal response indicators, supplemented by a Religious Branding Compass, to assist in identifying the religious institutions' visual identity projections.

Graphic Design and Religion by Daniel Kantor challenges the way we look at the role of graphic design within a religious context. The beautiful and abundant illustrations coupled with the passionately written text transcend the mere visual aspect of symbols and graphic design, elevating them to a spiritual way of seeing. It is an ideal resource for design students, teachers, photographers, illustrators, copywriters, clergy, worship and environment planners, and sacred art enthusiasts! This vital work can help designers discover their role in the creation of sacred art. One way in which Kantor accomplishes this is to draw a comparison between the illuminators of the Middle Ages with modern day graphic designers who serve religion today. Kantor stresses the need for a heightened awareness of graphic design within religion and demonstrates how good design must be seen as an essential component of authentic religious hospitality. --

You don’t need to quit your day job to serve God. Do you find it difficult to work with joy? Do you have a hard time with coworkers? Is your identity wrapped up in your job? Many Christian leaders struggle to bridge the gap between the sacred and the secular—particularly at work. Raymond Harris addressed this dilemma and found true success as one of the most prolific American architects. Business by Design draws upon biblical principles and life experiences to help you:avoid the swirl of busyness and develop an eternity-driven mind-set.exceed worldly standards and demonstrate generosity, compassion, forgiveness, and diligence.look beyond your own needs and use profits to promote God’s kingdom.let go of feeling you’re not doing enough for God and recognize your service to Him at work. The teachings and example of Jesus can transform your professional life and make you more effective in the workplace. Join your faith and work, and discover your ultimate purpose.

In this groundbreaking work, Amanda Porterfield explores the long intertwining of religion and commerce in the history of incorporation in the United States. Beginning with the antecedents of that history in western Europe, she focuses on organizations to show how corporate strategies in religion and commerce developed symbiotically, and how religion has influenced the corporate structuring and commercial orientation of American society. Porterfield begins her story in ancient Rome. She traces the development of corporate organization through medieval Europe and Elizabethan England and then to colonial North America, where organizational practices derived from religion infiltrated commerce, and commerce led to political independence. Left more to their own devices than under British law, religious groups in the United States experienced unprecedented autonomy that facilitated new forms of communal governance and new means of broadcasting their messages. As commercial enterprise expanded, religious organizations grew apace, helping many Americans absorb the shocks of economic turbulence, and promoting new conceptions of faith, spirit, and will power that contributed to business. Porterfield highlights the role that American religious institutions played a society increasingly dominated by commercial incorporation and free market ideologies. She also shows how charitable impulses long nurtured by religion continued to stimulate reform and demand for accountability.

On a flight across the Pacific Ocean, I suddenly heard the Lord say, "I want to talk with you about the armor of God." What I heard next from Holy Spirit was something I had never thought or heard before. "Since the letter to the Ephesians is a corporate book to the church in Ephesus, why is the armor always taught as for individuals? Should it not be understood for the corporate body as well?" Now that got my attention! For the last several years, I have meditated, prayed, studied, researched, inquired, pondered and waited to get clear direction and confirmation that this was a valid and needful revelation. The first time I taught this in our local kingdom center, something amazing happened. The corporate armor was activated and we moved into a new place of enjoying the corporate protection of the Lord as a body and as individuals. Let me share this with you!