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Duncan Stroik

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Duncan Stroik is a classical architect and professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, USA. His practice and research are focused on sacred architecture with a special interest in Andrea Palladio, the Veneto and Renaissance architecture.

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Papers by Duncan Stroik

Temples for Music and Music for Temples

In order for the renewal of classical cities and traditional culture to be successful, it must be... more In order for the renewal of classical cities and traditional culture to be successful, it must be accompanied by the richness of classical architecture. We need museums, courthouses, city halls, libraries, theaters, symphony halls, post offices, and churches, which give identity to their communities and offer an image of culture which people can aspire to. The theater is one of these major types and here I mean the symphony hall, the opera house, the drama theater, and the ballet theater. The theater continues to be a repository of culture at a time when modernity seeks to pull us away from anything good in the past. As an architect who makes a living designing civic architecture, I see all of these theater types as not simply places of entertainment but also as fostering goodness, truth, and beauty in our society. Wealthy societies like Europe and America invest in entertainment, luxury goods, experiences and pleasure. The goal of classical architecture, as well as classical music, is to go beyond an enjoyable experience in order to ennoble people through a meaningful narrative. Most of us do not have a reason to go inside our civic temples-courthouses, city halls, and churches-unless there is a special reason: to debate the governance of our city or town, because someone is accused of breaking the law, or if we admit that we have broken laws but we need forgiveness. Yet even if we do not go into these civic structures, their presence is crucial for the creation of public architectural order, for the administration of our cities, and for the uplifting of culture. They tend to be significant buildings placed at major locations, and whether beautiful or eyesores, they are structures we cannot ignore. They are the polity's buildings and we identify with them.

Francis, Rebuild my Church: The Franciscan Tradition of Sacred Architecture

In 2013, we had two firsts with the papacy. The first Jesuit pope was elected, and he is the firs... more In 2013, we had two firsts with the papacy. The first Jesuit pope was elected, and he is the first bishop of Rome to take the name of St. Francis. This is not altogether surprising when you remember that St. Ignatius saw himself as an imitator of Francis and Dominic. With this context, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we can learn from the Poverello and the religious order he founded. Specifically, I would like to reflect on this from an architectural perspective. Is there a “Franciscan” architecture, and what characteristics does it have?

The articulation of the sacred

Symmetry, 2019

Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to ... more Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to be ones to which the builders of early Christian basilicas, Gothic cathedrals, and baroque chapels could accede. In previous ages, these principles were tacitly understood and did not need to be articulated. In this paper, I propose five universal principles that apply to sacred architecture of all times, all places, and all styles, with examples from the great buildings of history and my own creative work. I also propose that while fundamental to the revival of sacred architecture, they are not a formula, and must still be applied by a talented architect.

Palladio’s Debt to Venice

Nexus Network Journal, Jan 23, 2019

Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio's impact on l... more Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio's impact on la Serenissima it is likely we would not have many other later masterpieces which are essential to Venice's identity, such as Madonna della Salute or Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà. Venice owes a debt to the architect from Vicenza because he brought a new and sophisticated classicism to the city. But what about Palladio's debt to Venice and the Veneto? Keywords Andrea Palladio • Venetian architecture • Italian Renaissance • Church facade design • Vitruvian temple facade proportions

Review: Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale, by Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp

Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Sep 1, 2017

Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Ya... more Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2016, 660 pp., 70 color and 253 b/w illus. $100 (cloth), ISBN 9780300211924 From the Accademia di San Luca through the Ecole des Beaux-Arts to the creation of accredited schools of architecture in the United States, education has played an influential role in the formation of the architect. As the academy goes, so goes the profession. Judging by its graduates, one of the most influential institutions during the past century has been the Yale School of Architecture. What differentiates it from competitors such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Columbia? In this brilliant and detailed history, Dean Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp offer a comprehensive explanation of Yale's unique qualities and the people, both students and faculty, who have made Yale one of the most revered places to study architecture in the United States. How much did the members of Yale's faculty and their pedagogy influence the trajectory of American architecture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? The authors claim that Yale was at the forefront of architectural debate and new movements. Yet at the same time they give credit to the students’ individual creativity, which the school has sought to foster. Stern defines Yale as a pluralist school within a college of art. From the debates between Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn to student juries attended by opposites such as Leon Krier and Peter Eisenman, Yale has prided itself on being a place where disparate theories of architecture can be explored. This can be very exciting or very confusing, depending on the student's background. My own experience with the school's pluralist pedagogy in the 1980s was less that all ideas were equal and more that everyone was welcome to get beaten up in the boxing ring. From its …

Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975. By Robert Proctor. Ashgate Studies in Architecture. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2014. x + 412 pp. $109.95 cloth

Church History, Nov 13, 2015

The place of the church in the American city

The Holy Altar: its design and liturgical meaning

Shadows of the Heavenly Sanctuary

The Priest, 2022

“Since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new an... more “Since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us” (Heb 10:19-20). The author of the Letter to the Hebrews uses salvation history to illuminate the New Covenant instituted by Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross fulfills the imperfect worship of the Old Covenant, which had foreshadowed and prepared the way for the new. It can help us understand aspects of the worship that we participate in now — and how the design of churches should relate to that worship.

A.W.N. Pugin, God's Architect?

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2022

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin remains important as one of the founders of the Gothic revival and... more Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin remains important as one of the founders of the Gothic revival and one who thought about the relationship of architecture and social questions. He argued aggressively, as the title of his book Contrasts: Or, a Parallel Between the Noble Edifices of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day, Shewing the Present Decay of Taste suggests. Before he died in 1852 at the age of forty, he designed dozens of houses, churches, and institutional buildings (particularly convents). His most famous design is the clock tower in London known as “Big Ben.”

Historian David Lewis recently published A. W. N. Pugin, the first monograph on Pugin’s architecture in fifty years, and edited the Pugin Society’s journal, True Principles. He teaches at Oxford. Duncan Stroik, Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, is the editor of Sacred Architecture.

Founder of a Classical Bauhaus

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2021

Duncan Stroik sat down with John Burgee to discuss the life and legacy of a great colleague and f... more

What Do We Do When Churches are Attacked?

Sacred Architecture, 2021

The destruction of images is an act of war. Vandals (an old word from ancient Rome) destroyed the... more The destruction of images is an act of war. Vandals (an old word from ancient Rome) destroyed the images of people they hated, which often led to actual violence against the people the images portrayed as well as against the thing they represented. The French Revolution began with the destruction of images of the royalty and sacred art, the expressions of the old order, but quickly moved to killing the people who represented the old order.

The destruction shows us something important and good about our churches, and points to the responsibility we have to care for them and to protect them.

An Architecture for the Poor

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2020

These two cathedrals represent two very different ideas about architecture for the poor. Not just... more These two cathedrals represent two very different ideas about architecture for the poor. Not just for church buildings, but for schools, rectories, retreat centers, hospitals, retirement homes, and any building in which the Church's work is done. One is a type of Catholic building that is stripped down and functionalist. The other is a type of Catholic building that is rich, beautiful, and built to last.

Transcendence, Where Hast Thou Gone?

Transcending Architecture

While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say tha... more While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say that there are distinctive qualities characterizing different faiths or religious traditions. It is these distinctive aspects that make the architecture of those traditions unique or special and give them identity. My own study of sacred architecture over the past two decades has led me to the conclusion that transcendence is one of the three essential dimensions crucial to sacred architecture, alongside procession and beauty. Why should a church or other kind of temple express transcendence? I would emphasize that the goal of transcendence is to express the &quot;other,&quot; the beyond, the eternal.

Palladio’s Debt to Venice

Nexus Network Journal, 2019

Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio’s impact on l... more Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio’s impact on la Serenissima it is likely we would not have many other later masterpieces which are essential to Venice’s identity, such as Madonna della Salute or Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà. Venice owes a debt to the architect from Vicenza because he brought a new and sophisticated classicism to the city. But what about Palladio’s debt to Venice and the Veneto?

The articulation of the sacred

Symmetry: Culture and Science, 2019

Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to ... more Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to be ones to which the builders of early Christian basilicas, Gothic cathedrals, and baroque chapels could accede. In previous ages, these principles were tacitly understood and did not need to be articulated. In this paper, I propose five universal principles that apply to sacred architecture of all times, all places, and all styles, with examples from the great buildings of history and my own creative work. I also propose that while fundamental to the revival of sacred architecture, they are not a formula, and must still be applied by a talented architect.

The Liturgical Environment: What the Documents Say 3rd Edition by Mark G. Boyer

Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal

Review: Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale , by Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp

Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

Review of Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975

Church History, 2015

Throughout the development of modernist church architecture one sees a strong tendency towards ex... more Throughout the development of modernist church architecture one sees a strong tendency towards experimentation and a rejection of “centuries of precedents for church architecture.” Architects and clergy advocated starting from “first principles,” which seemed like a scientific rationale for creating novel structures and ignoring Canon Law. In recent decades, there has been a reappraisal of the postwar embrace of modern architecture and a grassroots movement to build timeless churches. To understand how one of the most prolific periods of church building in the world’s history produced so few noteworthy structures there is no better text than Proctor’s Building the Modern Church.

Transcendence Where Hast Thou Gone?

Transcending Architecture: Contemporary Views on Sacred Space, 2015

While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say tha... more While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say that there are distinctive qualities characterizing different faiths or religious traditions. It is these distinctive aspects that make the architecture of those traditions unique or special and give them identity. My own study of sacred architecture over the past two decades has led me to the conclusion that transcendence is one of the three essential dimensions crucial to sacred architecture, alongside procession and beauty. Why should a church or other kind of temple express transcendence? I would emphasize that the goal of transcendence is to express the "other," the beyond, the eternal.

Temples for Music and Music for Temples

In order for the renewal of classical cities and traditional culture to be successful, it must be... more In order for the renewal of classical cities and traditional culture to be successful, it must be accompanied by the richness of classical architecture. We need museums, courthouses, city halls, libraries, theaters, symphony halls, post offices, and churches, which give identity to their communities and offer an image of culture which people can aspire to. The theater is one of these major types and here I mean the symphony hall, the opera house, the drama theater, and the ballet theater. The theater continues to be a repository of culture at a time when modernity seeks to pull us away from anything good in the past. As an architect who makes a living designing civic architecture, I see all of these theater types as not simply places of entertainment but also as fostering goodness, truth, and beauty in our society. Wealthy societies like Europe and America invest in entertainment, luxury goods, experiences and pleasure. The goal of classical architecture, as well as classical music, is to go beyond an enjoyable experience in order to ennoble people through a meaningful narrative. Most of us do not have a reason to go inside our civic temples-courthouses, city halls, and churches-unless there is a special reason: to debate the governance of our city or town, because someone is accused of breaking the law, or if we admit that we have broken laws but we need forgiveness. Yet even if we do not go into these civic structures, their presence is crucial for the creation of public architectural order, for the administration of our cities, and for the uplifting of culture. They tend to be significant buildings placed at major locations, and whether beautiful or eyesores, they are structures we cannot ignore. They are the polity's buildings and we identify with them.

Francis, Rebuild my Church: The Franciscan Tradition of Sacred Architecture

In 2013, we had two firsts with the papacy. The first Jesuit pope was elected, and he is the firs... more In 2013, we had two firsts with the papacy. The first Jesuit pope was elected, and he is the first bishop of Rome to take the name of St. Francis. This is not altogether surprising when you remember that St. Ignatius saw himself as an imitator of Francis and Dominic. With this context, it seems like a good time to reflect on what we can learn from the Poverello and the religious order he founded. Specifically, I would like to reflect on this from an architectural perspective. Is there a “Franciscan” architecture, and what characteristics does it have?

The articulation of the sacred

Symmetry, 2019

Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to ... more Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to be ones to which the builders of early Christian basilicas, Gothic cathedrals, and baroque chapels could accede. In previous ages, these principles were tacitly understood and did not need to be articulated. In this paper, I propose five universal principles that apply to sacred architecture of all times, all places, and all styles, with examples from the great buildings of history and my own creative work. I also propose that while fundamental to the revival of sacred architecture, they are not a formula, and must still be applied by a talented architect.

Palladio’s Debt to Venice

Nexus Network Journal, Jan 23, 2019

Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio's impact on l... more Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio's impact on la Serenissima it is likely we would not have many other later masterpieces which are essential to Venice's identity, such as Madonna della Salute or Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà. Venice owes a debt to the architect from Vicenza because he brought a new and sophisticated classicism to the city. But what about Palladio's debt to Venice and the Veneto? Keywords Andrea Palladio • Venetian architecture • Italian Renaissance • Church facade design • Vitruvian temple facade proportions

Review: Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale, by Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp

Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Sep 1, 2017

Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Ya... more Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2016, 660 pp., 70 color and 253 b/w illus. $100 (cloth), ISBN 9780300211924 From the Accademia di San Luca through the Ecole des Beaux-Arts to the creation of accredited schools of architecture in the United States, education has played an influential role in the formation of the architect. As the academy goes, so goes the profession. Judging by its graduates, one of the most influential institutions during the past century has been the Yale School of Architecture. What differentiates it from competitors such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Columbia? In this brilliant and detailed history, Dean Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp offer a comprehensive explanation of Yale's unique qualities and the people, both students and faculty, who have made Yale one of the most revered places to study architecture in the United States. How much did the members of Yale's faculty and their pedagogy influence the trajectory of American architecture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? The authors claim that Yale was at the forefront of architectural debate and new movements. Yet at the same time they give credit to the students’ individual creativity, which the school has sought to foster. Stern defines Yale as a pluralist school within a college of art. From the debates between Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn to student juries attended by opposites such as Leon Krier and Peter Eisenman, Yale has prided itself on being a place where disparate theories of architecture can be explored. This can be very exciting or very confusing, depending on the student's background. My own experience with the school's pluralist pedagogy in the 1980s was less that all ideas were equal and more that everyone was welcome to get beaten up in the boxing ring. From its …

Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975. By Robert Proctor. Ashgate Studies in Architecture. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2014. x + 412 pp. $109.95 cloth

Church History, Nov 13, 2015

The place of the church in the American city

The Holy Altar: its design and liturgical meaning

Shadows of the Heavenly Sanctuary

The Priest, 2022

“Since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new an... more “Since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us” (Heb 10:19-20). The author of the Letter to the Hebrews uses salvation history to illuminate the New Covenant instituted by Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross fulfills the imperfect worship of the Old Covenant, which had foreshadowed and prepared the way for the new. It can help us understand aspects of the worship that we participate in now — and how the design of churches should relate to that worship.

A.W.N. Pugin, God's Architect?

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2022

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin remains important as one of the founders of the Gothic revival and... more Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin remains important as one of the founders of the Gothic revival and one who thought about the relationship of architecture and social questions. He argued aggressively, as the title of his book Contrasts: Or, a Parallel Between the Noble Edifices of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day, Shewing the Present Decay of Taste suggests. Before he died in 1852 at the age of forty, he designed dozens of houses, churches, and institutional buildings (particularly convents). His most famous design is the clock tower in London known as “Big Ben.”

Historian David Lewis recently published A. W. N. Pugin, the first monograph on Pugin’s architecture in fifty years, and edited the Pugin Society’s journal, True Principles. He teaches at Oxford. Duncan Stroik, Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, is the editor of Sacred Architecture.

Founder of a Classical Bauhaus

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2021

Duncan Stroik sat down with John Burgee to discuss the life and legacy of a great colleague and f... more

What Do We Do When Churches are Attacked?

Sacred Architecture, 2021

The destruction of images is an act of war. Vandals (an old word from ancient Rome) destroyed the... more The destruction of images is an act of war. Vandals (an old word from ancient Rome) destroyed the images of people they hated, which often led to actual violence against the people the images portrayed as well as against the thing they represented. The French Revolution began with the destruction of images of the royalty and sacred art, the expressions of the old order, but quickly moved to killing the people who represented the old order.

The destruction shows us something important and good about our churches, and points to the responsibility we have to care for them and to protect them.

An Architecture for the Poor

Sacred Architecture Journal, 2020

These two cathedrals represent two very different ideas about architecture for the poor. Not just... more These two cathedrals represent two very different ideas about architecture for the poor. Not just for church buildings, but for schools, rectories, retreat centers, hospitals, retirement homes, and any building in which the Church's work is done. One is a type of Catholic building that is stripped down and functionalist. The other is a type of Catholic building that is rich, beautiful, and built to last.

Transcendence, Where Hast Thou Gone?

Transcending Architecture

While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say tha... more While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say that there are distinctive qualities characterizing different faiths or religious traditions. It is these distinctive aspects that make the architecture of those traditions unique or special and give them identity. My own study of sacred architecture over the past two decades has led me to the conclusion that transcendence is one of the three essential dimensions crucial to sacred architecture, alongside procession and beauty. Why should a church or other kind of temple express transcendence? I would emphasize that the goal of transcendence is to express the &quot;other,&quot; the beyond, the eternal.

Palladio’s Debt to Venice

Nexus Network Journal, 2019

Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio’s impact on l... more Imagine the Bacino of Venice without the three Palladian churches. Without Palladio’s impact on la Serenissima it is likely we would not have many other later masterpieces which are essential to Venice’s identity, such as Madonna della Salute or Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà. Venice owes a debt to the architect from Vicenza because he brought a new and sophisticated classicism to the city. But what about Palladio’s debt to Venice and the Veneto?

The articulation of the sacred

Symmetry: Culture and Science, 2019

Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to ... more Can the history of sacred architecture be summarized in universal principles? They would need to be ones to which the builders of early Christian basilicas, Gothic cathedrals, and baroque chapels could accede. In previous ages, these principles were tacitly understood and did not need to be articulated. In this paper, I propose five universal principles that apply to sacred architecture of all times, all places, and all styles, with examples from the great buildings of history and my own creative work. I also propose that while fundamental to the revival of sacred architecture, they are not a formula, and must still be applied by a talented architect.

The Liturgical Environment: What the Documents Say 3rd Edition by Mark G. Boyer

Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal

Review: Pedagogy and Place: 100 Years of Architectural Education at Yale , by Robert A. M. Stern and Jimmy Stamp

Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

Review of Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975

Church History, 2015

Throughout the development of modernist church architecture one sees a strong tendency towards ex... more Throughout the development of modernist church architecture one sees a strong tendency towards experimentation and a rejection of “centuries of precedents for church architecture.” Architects and clergy advocated starting from “first principles,” which seemed like a scientific rationale for creating novel structures and ignoring Canon Law. In recent decades, there has been a reappraisal of the postwar embrace of modern architecture and a grassroots movement to build timeless churches. To understand how one of the most prolific periods of church building in the world’s history produced so few noteworthy structures there is no better text than Proctor’s Building the Modern Church.

Transcendence Where Hast Thou Gone?

Transcending Architecture: Contemporary Views on Sacred Space, 2015

While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say tha... more While there are many elements of sacred architecture shared across religions, we can also say that there are distinctive qualities characterizing different faiths or religious traditions. It is these distinctive aspects that make the architecture of those traditions unique or special and give them identity. My own study of sacred architecture over the past two decades has led me to the conclusion that transcendence is one of the three essential dimensions crucial to sacred architecture, alongside procession and beauty. Why should a church or other kind of temple express transcendence? I would emphasize that the goal of transcendence is to express the "other," the beyond, the eternal.

The Church Building as a Sacred Place Introduction

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

How can we recover the sense of the sacred in our temples and shrines? We seem to have lost the a... more How can we recover the sense of the sacred in our temples and shrines? We seem to have lost the ability to make new buildings which exude that ineffable sense of the “sacred” which can be rightly called the presence of the Almighty. Why is it that few of our churches built in recent decades intimate that the church building itself and the celebrations taking place within it are sacred?

Ch. 1 The Church as a Sacred Place

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

It is common to describe architecture as having three characteristics: Firmitas, Utilitas, and Ve... more It is common to describe architecture as having three characteristics: Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas. These are the ancient principles of Durability, Convenience, and Beauty, which make clear the importance of durable construction, the ennoblement of function, and visual beauty in the definition of architecture. These three principles apply to all architecture, including the architecture of the church building.

Ch. 2 The Altar as the Center of the Church: Principles of Design

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

As we enter the third millennium, it is appropriate to look back on the architecture of the past ... more As we enter the third millennium, it is appropriate to look back on the architecture of the past millennium, including the architecture of this past century. Considering how previous generations have honored Christ’s birth through material construction, we must ask for this generation: How shall we then build?

Ch. 3 Domus Eucharistica

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

Over the years, church buildings have received numerous titles: domus ecclesiae, domus Dei, Templ... more Over the years, church buildings have received numerous titles: domus ecclesiae, domus Dei, Temple of the Most High, Image of the Eternal, Holy Place, Body of Christ. Blessed John Henry Newman called them “gospel palaces.” However, in the Jubilee year dedicated to the Eucharist, it is appropriate to reflect on the domus Eucharistica, the church as a Eucharistic house.

Ch. 4 The Classical Moment

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

The Catholic Church boasts two thousand years of sacred buildings, and a tradition characterized ... more The Catholic Church boasts two thousand years of sacred buildings, and a tradition characterized by diversity, inventiveness, and beauty. The third millennium creates an opportune moment to reflect on this vast architectural panorama behind us, and moreover, to reconsider what constitutes appropriate architecture for liturgy and devotion.

Ch. 5 Rerum Supernarum Signa et Symbola

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

It is often said that when times get tough, people get religion. This means that people return to... more It is often said that when times get tough, people get religion. This means that people return to church when life gets hard, and the stories of this after the calamity of September 11, 2001, are instructive. Priests, like firemen and policemen, rushed to the scene at the same time that most sane people rushed away. Some of these sane-yet-overwhelmed people found themselves entering the doors of a church, perhaps for the first time in years. Catholic churches were natural destinations, notwithstanding the fact that they are normally open as a place of prayer and refugium peccatorum (refuge of sinners).

Ch. 6 The Purpose of a Church

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

Sometimes the right question is the key to understanding. When it comes to the heated debate over... more

Ch. 7 Spontaneous Shrines and Temporary Churches

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

As was noted in Chapter 5, in good economic times people do not feel the need for religion, where... more As was noted in Chapter 5, in good economic times people do not feel the need for religion, whereas in times of trial, faith becomes essential. One could even translate the old saying about the dearth of agnostics in foxholes to the lack of agnostics in times of trial or calamity. The reasons for people entering churches are manifold: for solace, for peace and protection, for quiet, for prayer, to be with other believers, but most especially to be with God. For instance, after September 11, 2001 there was a spontaneous construction of shrines in honor of loved ones on street corners and public squares. Mourning brought prayer, prayer brought public devotion, and this devotion seems to have brought civility.

Ch. 8 Ten Myths of Contemporary Sacred Architecture

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

Conventional wisdom has a great effect on many aspects of life, including the built environment. ... more Conventional wisdom has a great effect on many aspects of life, including the built environment. Being social creatures, we tend to believe what others do, and follow the example of those closest to us in time or place. However, it is also beneficial for us to confront the conventional wisdom and call it into question. There are many so-called “principles of church architecture” which are, in reality, myths.

Ch. 9 Modernist Church Architecture

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

To many educated observers it seems that the reductivist buildings commissioned for Roman Catholi... more To many educated observers it seems that the reductivist buildings commissioned for Roman Catholic worship today are a direct corollary of Church teaching, modern liturgical studies, and contemporary theology. If this is so, then Modernist architecture is the officially sanctioned style of the Roman Church. Indeed, after the Second Vatican Council, there was a surge of construction of abstract new churches, often resembling commercial or factory structures, which seemed to many dioceses to be mandated by the spirit of Vatican II.

Ch. 10 Modernism Triumphs in the Eternal City

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

The architectural competition held by the Archdiocese of Rome in 1996 leads one to believe that t... more The architectural competition held by the Archdiocese of Rome in 1996 leads one to believe that the Vicariate thinks the future of Church architecture lies in the recent past. To be precise, the Archdiocese seems to suggest that new architecture should be based firmly on the “tradition” of mid-twentieth century Modernism.

Ch. 11 One Step Forward: An Analysis of Built of Living Stones

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

People often ask me what texts one should read in preparation for designing or renovating a Catho... more People often ask me what texts one should read in preparation for designing or renovating a Catholic church. I typically recommend starting with Church documents such as Sacrosanctum Concilium, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Rite of Dedication of a Church; and a few paragraphs from the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Opera Artis, and Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists.

Ch. 12 The Show Must Go On

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

If you want to understand what happened to Catholic architecture in the second half of the twenti... more If you want to understand what happened to Catholic architecture in the second half of the twentieth century, it may be illuminating to study what happened to Protestant architecture in the latter half of the nineteenth. The parallels are striking and the intentions of the Church leaders are surprising.

Ch. 13 Operosam Decoramque Reconstructionem: On the Preservation of the Church's Patrimony

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

Prominently located on one of the most spacious piazze in Rome is the ancient church of Santa Mar... more Prominently located on one of the most spacious piazze in Rome is the ancient church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. This three-aisled basilica, constructed with columns from the Roman baths of Caracalla, is said to be one of the first churches in the Eternal City dedicated to the Virgin. It is a poignant example of how the art of different epochs can work together to produce a masterpiece of sacred art and architecture.

Ch. 14 Caveat Emptor: You Have Made My Father's House a Den of Tourism

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

A few years ago I went on a pilgrimage to Italy with my family and sat next to a pleasant young m... more A few years ago I went on a pilgrimage to Italy with my family and sat next to a pleasant young man on the airplane. He related to me his first trip to Italy, which was a low-budget affair, in which they spent more time in churches than in museums. The tour operators evidently knew what many Catholics understand: that the art and architecture of the churches of Europe can be seen for free. On the other hand, when I visited St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in London in 1987 I was shocked at the lines, the request for donations, and the gift shop in the back of the nave. It is a magnificent work of architecture, but the powers that be had turned it into a sort of a museum. Contrast this with its architectural equivalent in Rome, which is a great repository of art and architecture visited by millions of people, and yet also features a well used chapel of Eucharistic adoration along with Masses and Confessions.

Ch. 15 Can We Afford Not to Build Beautiful Churches?

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

If you have visited Rome but not St. Peter's Basilica, have traveled to London but not visited St... more If you have visited Rome but not St. Peter's Basilica, have traveled to London but not visited St. Paul's Cathedral, if you have been to the holy city of Jerusalem but not to the Wailing Wall or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one might say that you have not really been there. Even in a secular age we are aware that to visit a great city is synonymous with visiting the repositories of art, history, and faith physically embodied in its houses of worship.

Ch. 16 Renaissance or Revival?

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

How many times have you heard that a particular church built in America is a copy, say, of Notre ... more How many times have you heard that a particular church built in America is a copy, say, of Notre Dame in Chartres or a Romanesque abbey in Provence? I think of St. James Chapel at the Archbishop Quigley Center in Chicago, which is sometimes described as a “replica” of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. St. James is a beautiful chapel with wonderful stained glass, but it is certainly not a replica of Sainte-Chapelle. A replica is a very difficult thing to do in architecture: a building is not so easily replicated as a document you can photocopy or a painting you can photograph. Even if one invested a lot of research, time, and money into the endeavor, I am not convinced that it is possible to produce a literal copy of a building. There would always be the local materials, workmanship, issues of modern technology, and the hand of the modern architect that would intervene, if only subtly, to ensure its particularity.

Ch. 17 Vocatio Architecti: On the Vocation of the Architect

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

One of the reasons that we are amazed by the beauty of architectural masterpieces is that they ap... more One of the reasons that we are amazed by the beauty of architectural masterpieces is that they appear to go beyond the ability of mortals to conceive them. Their harmony and proportions seem to have been constructed by angels. In order to bring these sacred works to fruition, ranging from the nave of Amiens Cathedral to the exterior of St. Vincent de Paul in Los Angeles, many hills have to be climbed. The unique involvement of the patron, the limitations of materials or craftsmanship, the large sums of money required, and the length of years necessary for construction has historically distinguished

Ch. 18 Learning from Rome

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

For many architects, there are few places that can match Rome for inspiration. I have had the opp... more For many architects, there are few places that can match Rome for inspiration. I have had the opportunity to visit and live in Rome a number of times, and I always learn new things. One of the highlights of any trip is going to St. Peter’s Basilica at 7 am for Mass, which is one of the best-kept secrets of Rome. While the rest of Rome is still sleeping, before the hordes of pilgrims and tourists arrive, St. Peter’s is a-bustle with faithful participating in Mass at the myriad side altars and in the crypt. As the light streams in this loftiest of temples, the day begins with a liturgy celebrated by people from all over the world in all possible languages in the presence of Saint Peter and all his sons. One is filled with awe by the beauty, the reverence, and the holiness of the Lord’s temple.

Ch. 19 Ecclesiam Aedificat Eucharistia: John Paul II and the Renewal of Sacred Architecture

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal, 2012

Just as the Cathedral liturgy is meant to be an example for the diocese, so too should be the art... more Just as the Cathedral liturgy is meant to be an example for the diocese, so too should be the art and architecture of the cathedral. One of the many roles for the diocesan bishop is to promote Catholic art and architecture. New construction, restoration, and beautification are all ways in which a bishop can lead by example.