Every Church Tells a Story
How to read a church like a book
We’re often told that a church building is the “house of God,” a setting for worship, a meeting place between the human and the divine. But less often do we think about why churches look the way they do, or what it is that makes them a fitting place for worship. In fact, when we take the time to stop and look (and maybe even unconsciously), every church tells us something about who God is, and who we are. We can “read” churches, much like we read Scripture.
The earliest places of Christian communal worship were the houses of believers, and eventually houses converted solely for use in the liturgy. But once Christianity became tolerated (and eventually promoted) by the Roman empire, Christians were able to build structures designed specifically for the purpose of worship. The classic basilica, adopted from the layout of Roman meeting halls, is one of the earliest designs, and one still in use today. St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome its an excellent example of this design. Structurally, it’s a rectangle, divided by two rows of columns, with the apse and altar across from the entrance. In all architectural styles, basilicas impress on us their general immensity and length, creating space for procession and movement in the context of the liturgy. The vastness reminds us of our smallness, allowing us to partake in the vastness of God, though without being made to feel unimportant — we ourselves are involved in the drama of salvation. Of course, not all churches are basilicas; plenty other church structures exist as well, but each is created with the purpose of worship in mind, bringing us in some way to encounter God’s presence.
Within the overall structure, each church structure is designed with a particular focal point in mind, or perhaps several. This is most certainly for a theological reason — the architects are telling us what is important. In Catholic churches generally, the focus is the altar, the table upon which we offer the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass. For an unconventional example of this structure, we can look to my own spiritual home, the Abbey Church of Saint John the Baptist in Collegeville, MN. Between the parallel pews and the arced choir stalls toward the apse, the altar stands as the central location, around which we all gather. On the other hand, Protestant churches might be more likely to center the pulpit. Churches of all denominations can be designed with the focus in the congregation, reminding us of the presence of God within us, the People of God and the Body of Christ. Since the Second Vatican Council, more Catholic churches have been designed with two foci, both altar and ambo, emphasizing the inseparability of Christ in the Word and Christ in the Sacrament. Each of these configurations tells us something about our presence in the church and the God who becomes present to us.
Moving into greater specificity, each church also makes use of other symbols within its decoration. Before the spread of the printing press, Christians would not have had ready access to Scripture, and so church buildings themselves were far more important as places of catechesis, even in their decoration. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Basilica of San Clemente, also in Rome. A historical marvel, the church contains elements from throughout the millenia of the church, built on top of a third-century sanctuary to the god Mithras. Magnificently decorated, the church uses sacramental imagery and vines to symbolize the creation of a New Eden, beginning with the Crucifixion. Of course, the vine is also a reference to John 15: “I AM the true vine.” Twelve doves represent the Twelve Apostles, transformed by the Holy Spirit. Of course, this use of symbol is not limited only to these few European churches. Even in our own Saint Joseph’s, we can look to the stained glass windows along the walls, one side showing the Old Testament and the other the New, each part of our own story as Christians. The more time we spend in a church, and meditate on its lessons, the more we allow ourselves to be conformed to the message of the Gospel.
So here’s a challenge: next time you visit a church, pay attention to these structural features and reflect on how they might be trying to bring us into God’s presence. What shape is the church? Where are my eyes drawn? How does this building ask me to consider the mystery of God or bring Glory to God? How am I shaped by this experience of worship shared with other people in this space?
Ut in omnia glorificetur Deus.
