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What is more important to people—the religious building itself or the worship experience inside? Some will argue that a well-ordered classical-style architectural space is essential to Christian liturgy. However, it is well known that the great churches and cathedrals in Europe are nearly empty of worshipers and visited mostly by tourists. In many ways they have become museums. And while church attendance is down in many of these countries, the Muslims and Buddhists can't seem to build fast enough to house their ever-growing congregations. I surmise that the role of religious buildings in the United States is less about architectural and artistic beauty and more about enabling meaningful worship experiences. Perhaps in a less prescribed way these spaces serve as places where one can quietly connect with the holy Other. Reimagining Sacred SpaceThe primary purpose of a mosque, synagogue, or church is not leisure-time activity. These places are not, by their very nature, in competition with structures dedicated to sports, the arts, or consumerism. Further, it is not customary for religions to embark on aggressive advertising campaigns touting their services or programs. These places are nevertheless unique in their purpose. The mosque, or masjid, is open for prayer five times a day, for educational programs and social events. At one time the main mosque in Medina was used even as a shelter for poor or itinerant Muslims. Museums don't offer that service. For the Jews the temple was considered the house of God and a place of prayer for all peoples. Since the destruction of the temple Jews have understood the synagogue, also called temple or shul, as a place of gathering (Beit Ha-Knesset), prayer (Beit T'filah), and learning (Beit Midrash). In this regard it is used for education programs, the performing arts, banquets, social outreach, and worship. Shopping malls do not offer these services. In the Christian tradition a church is frequently called "God's House" even though there is no mandate in Christian teachings to erect dwelling places for God. The earliest examples of Christian places of worship were neighborhood clubs and the domus ecclesiae, the house for the Church. Since the Second Vatican Council there has been a renewed interest in recovering this older understanding of the Catholic place of worship as primarily a gathering place for the assembly of believers that is devoid of excessive decoration and ornamentation. Some programmatic requirements for the construction of places of worship are similar in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. In each case the buildings are designed for four purposes: meeting, study, worship, and social outreach. But these are task related. One asks the question then, what is it that comprises and constitutes sacred space today? I believe that a place of worship does not automatically become a sacred space just because it was designed and built to be such. I do not believe that an artist or an architect can make something sacred just by the very act of creating it. Instead, churches, synagogues, and mosques are sacred because of what people do in these places. The Christian writer John Chrysostom once said that it's not the building that makes the people holy; it's the people who make the building holy. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Contents |
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