In traditionalChristian architecture, theplan view of a church often forms aChristian cross with the centreaisle and seating representing the vertical beam and thebema andaltar forming the horizontal.Towers ordomes may inspire contemplation of theheavens. Modern churches have a variety ofarchitectural styles and layouts. Some buildings designed for other purposes have been converted to churches, while many original church buildings have been put to other uses. From the 11th to the 14th century, there had been a wave of church construction inWestern Europe.
Many churches worldwide are of considerable historical, national, cultural, and architectural significance, with several included in the list ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites.[5]
Cyrican is anOld English word for churches and church property
The wordchurch is derived fromOld Englishcirice, 'place of assemblage set aside for Christian worship', from theCommon Germanic wordkirika. This was probably borrowed viaGothic fromAncient Greekkyriakon doma, 'the Lord's (house)', fromkyrios, 'ruler, lord'.Kyrios in turn comes from theIndo-European root*ḱewh₁-, meaning 'to spread out, to swell' (euphemistically: 'to prevail, to be strong').[6]
The various forms of the cognates tochurch in various languages reflect the word's linguistic roots inGreek andProto-Indo-European origins. For instance, in earlyGermanic languages such asOld High German, the word evolved intokirihha, highlighting its spread through the Christianization of Germanic peoples. This etymological journey illustrates how the concept of a place of Christian worship was linguistically adapted as Christianity expanded acrossEurope. Additionally, the use of the word in early Christian communities emphasized the association of the building with its dedication toGod.[7]
Churches have evolved from early house churches (pre-4th century) to grand basilicas after Christianity's legalization in 313 AD. TheRomanesque period (10th–12th century) featured thick walls and round arches, while the Gothic style (12th–16th century) introduced pointed arches and flying buttresses for taller, light-filled structures. Later styles include Renaissance symmetry, Baroque ornamentation, and modernist minimalism.
Common church features include:
Nave and apse – The main hall and altar area. Modern churches blend tradition with function, from minimalist designs to contemporary community spaces.
Transept – Forms the cruciform shape.
Clerestory windows – High windows for natural light.
Steeples and towers – Often house bells.
Vaulting – Structural support using arches.
Modern churches blend tradition with function, incorporating minimalist designs and contemporary community spaces while preserving a sense of originality and faith.
South facade of theChurch of Saint Simeon Stylites in Aleppo, Syria, is considered to be one of the oldest surviving ruins of a church building in the world.
The earliest archeologically identified Christian church is ahouse church (domus ecclesiae), theDura-Europos church, founded between 233 AD and 256 AD.[1]
In the second half of the third century AD, the first purpose-built halls for Christian worship (aula ecclesiae) began to be constructed. Many of these structures were destroyed during theDiocletianic Persecution in the early 4th century. Even larger and more elaborate churches began to appear during the reign of EmperorConstantine the Great.[8]
From the 11th through the 14th centuries, a wave ofcathedral building and the construction of smallerparish churches occurred acrossWestern Europe. Besides serving as aplace of worship, the cathedral or parish church was frequently employed as a general gathering place by the communities in which they were located, hosting such events asguild meetings,banquets,mystery plays, andfairs. Church grounds and buildings were also used for the threshing and storage of grain.[9]
Between 1000 and 1200, theRomanesque style became popular acrossEurope. The Romanesque style is defined by large and bulky edifices typically composed of simple, compact, sparsely decorated geometric structures. Frequent features of the Romanesque church includecircular arches, round oroctagonal towers, andcushion capitals on pillars. In the early Romanesque era,coffering on the ceiling was fashionable, while later in the same era,groined vaults gained popularity. Interiors widened, and the motifs of sculptures took on more epic traits and themes.[10] Romanesque architects adopted many Roman or early Christian architectural ideas, such as a cruciform ground plan, as that ofAngoulême Cathedral, and thebasilica system of a nave with a central vessel and side aisles.[11]
TheCathedral of Ani, one of the founders of the Gothic style of architectureTheFrauenkirche in Munich is a largelyGothic, medieval church.
TheGothic style emerged around 1140 inÎle-de-France and subsequently spread throughout Europe.[12] Gothic churches lost the compact qualities of the Romanesque era, and decorations often containedsymbolic andallegorical features. The firstpointed arches,rib vaults, andbuttresses began to appear, all possessing geometric properties that reduced the need for large, rigid walls to ensure structural stability. This also permitted the size of windows to increase, producing brighter and lighter interiors.Nave ceilings rose, and pillars and steeples heightened.[13][11] Many architects used these developments to push the limits of structural possibility – an inclination that resulted in the collapse of several towers whose designs had unwittingly exceeded the boundaries of soundness. In Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, it became popular to buildhall churches, a style in which everyvault would be built to the same height.
Gothic cathedrals were lavishly designed, as in the Romanesque era, and many share Romanesque traits. Bagneux Church, France (1170–1190) exhibited both styles - a Romanesque tower, and Gothic nave and choir.[11] Several also exhibit unprecedented degrees of detail and complexity in decoration.Notre-Dame de Paris andReims Cathedral in France, as well as the church ofSan Francesco d'Assisi inPalermo,Salisbury Cathedral and thewool churches in England, andSanthome Church inChennai,India, show the elaborate stylings characteristic of Gothic cathedrals.
Some of the most well-known gothic churches remained unfinished for centuries after the style fell out of popularity. One such example is the construction ofCologne Cathedral, which began in 1248, was halted in 1473, and didn't resume until 1842.[14]
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the changes in ethics and society due to theRenaissance and theReformation also influenced the building of churches. The common style was much like the Gothic style but simplified. Thebasilica was not the most popular type of church anymore, but instead,hall churches were built. Typical features are columns and classicalcapitals.[15]
InProtestant churches, where the proclamation of God's Word is of particular importance, the visitor's line of sight is directed towards thepulpit.
TheBaroque style was first used in Italy around 1575. From there, it spread to the rest of Europe and the European colonies. The building industry increased heavily during theBaroque era. Buildings, even churches, were used to indicate wealth, authority, and influence. The use of forms known from theRenaissance was extremely exaggerated.Domes andcapitals were decorated with moulding, and the formerstucco sculptures were replaced byfresco paintings on the ceilings. For the first time, churches were seen as one connected work of art, and consistent artistic concepts were developed. Instead of long buildings, more central-plan buildings were created. The sprawling decoration with floral ornamentation and mythological motives lasted until about 1720, in theRococo era.[16]
The Protestantparishes preferred Protestant churches often prioritize proximity between worshippers, the nave (main worship space), and the altar (often called a communion table).[17] This is achieved through various architectural designs and practices, including moving the altar loser to the congregation, decreasing the distance between the entrance and altar, and employing simpler architectural styles that focus attention on the pulpit and communion table.
A common trait of the architecture of many churches is the shape of across[18] (a long central rectangle, with side rectangles and a rectangle in front for thealtar space or sanctuary). These churches also often have adome or other largevaulted space in the interior to represent or draw attention to the heavens. Other common shapes for churches include a circle, to represent eternity, or anoctagon or similar star shape, to represent the church's bringing light to the world. Another common feature is thespire, a tall tower at the "west" end of the church or over thecrossing.[citation needed]
Another common feature of many Christian churches is theeastwards orientation of the front altar.[19] Often, the altar will not be oriented due east but toward the sunrise.[clarification needed] This tradition originated inByzantium in the fourth century and became prevalent in the West in the eighth and ninth centuries. The old Roman custom of having the altar at the west end and the entrance at the east was sometimes followed as late as the eleventh century, even in areas of northern Europe under Frankish rule, as seen inPetershausen (Constance),Bamberg Cathedral,Augsburg Cathedral,Regensburg Cathedral, andHildesheim Cathedral.[20]
TheLatin wordbasilica was initially used to describe aRoman public building usually located in theforum of a Roman town.[21][22] After theRoman Empire becameofficially Christian, the term came by extension to refer to a large and influential church that has been given special ceremonial rights by thePope.[23] The word thus retains two senses today, one architectural and the other ecclesiastical.
A cathedral is a church, usuallyCatholic,Anglican,Oriental Orthodox orEastern Orthodox, housing the seat of a bishop. The word cathedral takes its name fromcathedra, or Bishop's Throne (InLatin:ecclesia cathedralis). The term is sometimes (improperly) used to refer to any church of great size.
Cathedrals tend to display a higher level ofcontemporary architectural style and the work of accomplished craftsmen, and occupy a status both ecclesiastical and social that an ordinary parish church rarely has. Such churches are generally among the finest buildings locally and a source of national and regional pride,[24] and many are among the world's most renowned works of architecture.[25]
Either, a discrete space with an altar inside a larger cathedral, conventual, parish, or other church; or, a free standing small church building or room not connected to a larger church, to serve a particularhospital,school,university, prison, private household,palace,castle, or other institution. Often proprietary churches and small conventual churches are referred to by this term.[26]
A collegiate church is a church where thedaily office of worship is maintained by acollege ofcanons, which may be presided over by adean orprovost.Collegiate churches were often supported by extensive lands held by the church, or bytithe income fromappropriatedbenefices. They commonly provide distinct spaces for congregational worship and for the choir offices of their clerical community.
A parish church is a church built to meet the needs of people localised in a geographical area called aparish. The vast majority of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran church buildings fall into this category. A parish church may also be a basilica, a cathedral, a conventual or collegiate church, or a place of pilgrimage. The vast majority of parish churches do not however enjoy such privileges.
In addition to a parish church, each parish may maintain auxiliary organizations and their facilities such as arectory,parish hall,parochial school, orconvent, frequently located on the same campus or adjacent to the church.
A pilgrimage church is a church to whichpilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, often located at the tomb of asaints, or holding icons orrelics to which miraculous properties are ascribed, the site ofMarian apparitions, etc.
During the Middle Ages, a proprietary church was a church, abbey, or cloister built on the private grounds of a feudal lord, over which he retained proprietary interests.
The architecture ofevangelical places of worship is mainly characterized by its sobriety.[27][28] TheLatin cross is a well knownChristian symbol that can usually be seen on the building of an evangelical church and that identifies the place's belonging.[29][30] Some services take place in theaters, schools or multipurpose rooms, rented for Sunday only.[31][32][33] There is usually abaptistery at the front of the church (in what is known as thechancel in historic traditions) or in a separate room forbaptisms by immersion.[34][35]
Worship services take on impressive proportions in themegachurches (churches where more than 2,000 people gather every Sunday). In some of these megachurches, more than 10,000 people gather every Sunday. The term gigachurch is sometimes used.[36][37] For example,Lakewood Church (United States) orYoido Full Gospel Church (South Korea).[38]
Old and disused church buildings can be seen as an interesting proposition for developers as the architecture and location often provide for attractive homes[45] or city centre entertainment venues.[46] On the other hand, many newer churches have decided to host meetings in public buildings such as schools,[47] universities,[48] cinemas[49] or theatres.[50]
There is another trend to convert old buildings forworship rather than face the construction costs and planning difficulties of a new build. Unusual venues in the UK include a former tram power station,[51] a formerbus garage,[52] a former cinema andbingo hall,[53] a formerTerritorial Army drill hall,[54] and a formersynagogue.[55]HMS Tees served as a floating church for mariners atLiverpool from 1827 until she sank in 1872.[56] A windmill has also been converted into a church atReigate Heath.
There have been increased partnerships between church management and private real estate companies to redevelop church properties into mixed uses. While it has garnered criticism, the partnership allows congregations to increase revenue while preserving the property.[57]
The exterior outlines ofSt Martin-in-the-Fields (London, 1720), tall front steeple above pitched roof and rectangle, popularized a template for many church buildings in North America and beyond
Although building churches is prohibited in Saudi Arabia, which has around 1.5 million Christians,[78] the country contains the remnants of a historic church known as theJubail Church, which dates back to the fourth century and was affiliated with theChurch of the East.[79] Discovered in 1986, the site was excavated by the Saudi Antiquities Department in 1987. As of 2008, the findings from this excavation had not been published, reflecting sensitivities regarding artifacts from non-Islamic religions.[79] In the Maldives, which has approximately 1,400 Christians,[80] building churches is prohibited. However, only foreign Christian workers are allowed to practice their religion privately.[81] Despite the prohibition on church construction, both countries have secrethome churches.[59]
^"The term church is found, but not specifically defined, in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The term is not used by all faiths; however, in an attempt to make this publication easy to read, we use it in its generic sense as a place of worship including, for example, mosques and synagogues."[1]Archived 7 April 2019 at theWayback Machine,US IRS Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations
^Richard Utz. "The Cathedral as Time Machine: Art, Architecture, and Religion." In:The Idea of the Gothic Cathedral. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Meanings of the Medieval Edifice in the Modern Period, ed. Stephanie Glaser (Turnhout: Brepols, 2018). pp. 239–59.
^Peter W. Williams,Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States, University of Illinois Press, USA, 2000, p. 125
^Murray Dempster, Byron D. Klaus, Douglas Petersen,The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2011, p. 210
^Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 32
^Anne C. Loveland, Otis B. Wheeler, From Meetinghouse to Megachurch: A Material and Cultural History, University of Missouri Press, USA, 2003, p. 149
^Helmuth Berking, Silke Steets, Jochen Schwenk,Religious Pluralism and the City: Inquiries into Postsecular Urbanism, Bloomsbury Publishing, UK, 2018, p. 78
^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1359
^William H. Brackney,Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 61
^Wade Clark Roof,Contemporary American Religion, Volume 1, Macmillan, UK, 2000, p. 49
^Sam Hey,Megachurches: Origins, Ministry, and Prospects, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2013, p. 265.
^Allan Heaton Anderson,An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2013, p. 104.
^Brian Stiller,Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 328
^Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 364.
^Alexander, Lucy (14 December 2007)."Church conversions".The Times. London. Archived fromthe original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved30 April 2010.
^Site design and technology by Lightmaker.com."quality food and drink". Pitcher and Piano. Archived fromthe original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved18 October 2011.
^Holt, Andrew (2019).The World of the Crusades: A Daily Life Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 57.ISBN9781440854620.was housed in the most important church in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
^abcKurian, George (2015).A Quick Look at Christian History: A Chronological Timeline Through the Centuries. Harvest House Publishers. pp. 187–188.ISBN9780736953795.
^von Sinner, Rudolf (2012).The Churches and Democracy in Brazil: Towards a Public Theology Focused on Citizenship. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 59.ISBN9781630877279.
^Biljana Vankovska; Hakan Wiberg; Wiberg Hakan (2003).Between Past and Future: Civil-military Relations in the Post-communist Balkans. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 71.ISBN978-1-86064-624-9.
^Wilfred, Felix (2014).The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia. Oxford University Press. p. 45.ISBN9780199329069.
^Ross, Kenneth R.; Johnson, Todd M. (2019),"The Maldives",Christianity in South and Central Asia, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 197–198,ISBN978-1-4744-3982-4, retrieved10 July 2024
^Jan Pelikan, Jaroslav (13 August 2022)."Christianity".Encyclopædia Britannica.It has become the largest of the world's religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused of all faiths.
^"To the time of Constantine (71–312)". Catholic Encyclopedia.Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved15 November 2013.Certainly no spot in Christendom can be more venerable than the place of the Last Supper, which became the first Christian church.
^Stokes, Jamie, ed. (2008).Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York:Infobase Publishing. p. 65.ISBN9781438126760.Etchmiatzin is located in the west of modern Armenia, close to the border with Turkey, and its fourth-century cathedral is generally regarded as the oldest in the world.
^Dhilawala, Sakina (1997).Armenia. New York:Marshall Cavendish. p. 72.ISBN9780761406839.Echmiadzin Cathedral is the spiritual center of the Armenian Church and the seat of the Catholicos of all Armenians. It is also the oldest cathedral and Christian monastery in the world.
^Utudjian, Édouard (1968).Armenian Architecture: 4th to 17th Century. Editions A. Morancé. p. 7....he also wanted to contribute to the restoration of the oldest cathedral in Christendom, that of Etchmiadzin, founded in the 4th century.
Gendry Mickael, L'église, un héritage de Rome, Essai sur les principes et méthodes de l'architecture chrétienne, Religions et Spiritualité, collection Beaux-Arts architecture religion, édition Harmattan 2009, 267 p.
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