Architecture and Theology

My brother is an architect. Every detail of a building reveals something to him about the philosophy, purpose and intent of the designing architect. He will read a facade, a room or a hallway in the same way I read a book. Like me you probably don't share the same life long passion and commitment to the details of building design as an architect, but we can still pick up on the messages communicated by the spaces in which we live and work.

If you've ever looked for a house to buy or an apartment to rent you know just what I mean. Every time you went into a door you had an immediate impression. The amount of light, the height of the ceiling, the quality of the cabinets. Each of these details and many more defined a mood, a socio-economic level, a certain style and quality of life. And hopefully you found a space that was a match for you. After moving in you filled the space with your furniture. You put pictures on the wall. The things that are important and meaningful to you become an integral part of the home. When someone comes for a visit they can often learn as much about you from the physical space in which you live as they do from the things you discuss. At the least they are left with an impression of who you are and how you live.

Have you ever considered what your church building communicates about God and the people who worship Him there?

As one of my seminary professors was fond of saying, everything about the location, form and function of your church service communicates a theological message. Or put another way, you can learn what a church believes and values about God and the Christian life by the way it worships.

By looking at church architecture we can learn a great deal about what is considered important in worship. Four chapters of Genesis are devoted to God's instructions to Moses concerning the layout of the tabernacle. There was significant meaning in all the form and functions of the temple. In more recent history, the great cathedrals were all designed to be a place of instant wonder. Massive in size and covered with intricately detailed stonework, they have high towers holding an army of bells. With soaring ceilings and colored light the buildings themselves create an air of grandeur. The building communicates that God is big, beautiful, and worthy of awe and respect.

In churches built before the reformation, the focal point of the church was the altar - the place of communion and baptism. If there was a pulpit, it was located off to one side. The altar formed the center of worship, just as communion was the height of worship. In many Catholic churches the altar holds an image of the Madonna and Child. Sometimes the crucifix will be there as well. Often it will be found to the side, or in the rear of the church. These images and their placement communicate theological belief.

After the reformation, the focal point in Protestant churches became the pulpit. Sola Scriptura meant that the Bible and the sermon became the center of worship. Church architecture reflected this in placing the pulpit in the center. The high point of Sunday worship became the teaching of God's Word. The Catholic images were replaced with a large empty cross located prominently above and behind the pulpit. These arrangements reflect and teach theological beliefs in the Protestant church.

In recent years, the trend in Evangelical church architecture has been to create an open stage on which a wide array of different objects and events can be highlighted. Behind the stage is a large screen for video. Often there is no pulpit. While there are logistical benefits to such an arrangement, what is theologically communicated when the focal point of the room is a stage? What do people learn about God and worship when the building is more like a theater than a traditional church? What do you think?