Religion

Why do religions organize space in distinctive patterns?

Religious buildings

• No matter what religion, until recently churches, etc. were the tallest, most elaborate buildings

• Impact of religion on the landscape is profound, because many people believe life on Earth should be spent in the service of God

Religious Buildings

• May be places for people to worship or structures to house religious artifacts

• Sacred structures are “anchors” of a faith.

Christian Churches

• Word church derives from Greek meaning lord, master, and power.

• Church is more critical in Christianity than other religions, because it is an expression of religious principles, and an environment created in the image of God.

• Collective worship in a church is considered very important

Christian Churches

• Built with a variety of materials, depending on what was available locally

• Churches are extremely expensive to design, build, and maintain

• Early churches modled after bascilicas, Roman buildings for public assembly

• Typically central hall and 2 side aisles

Christian Churches

• Raised alter symbolizes hill of Calvary where Jesus was crucified

• Gothic churches’ floor plan in form of cross

• Orthodox- Basilica- most ornate

• RC- Church or Cathedral- in the middle

• Protestant- Church or megachurch- least ornate

Islamic Mosque

• Unlike a church, a Mosque is not viewed as a sanctified place but as a location for the community to worship

• Organized around a central courtyard. Pulpit faces Mecca

• Minaret- a tower from which a muzzan summons people to worship

Hindu Temples

• Sacred structures for collective worship are relatively unimportant

• Temples are built to house shrines for gods instead of community worship

• Wealthy people or groups of people maintain the temples

• Contains a small, dimly lit room containing a sacred artifact or image

Buddhist/Taoist/Shinto Pagodas

• Tall, many sided towers, arranged in a series of tiers, balconies, and slanting roofs

• Pagodas contain relics that were once part of Buddha’s body or clothing

• Not designed for congregational worship

Baha’i

• Wilmette, Illinois

• Open to adherents of all religions, services include scriptures from various religions

Sacred space- disposing of dead

• Jews, Christians, Muslims bury dead in a cemetary- often doubles as a park

• Early Christians worshipped and buried their dead in catacombs- underground passages.

• Some Christians bury dead w/ feet toward Jerusalem

• Egyptians buried dead on West side of river, lived on E. side

Sacred space- disposing of dead

• Hindus practice cremation- burning the dead- so did Europeans until Christianity

• Zoroastrians expose the dead to birds and animals- Tibetan Buddhists