Architecture and Christian Meanings 1

Abstract

The Church lives. It lives corporately in doing these things: it baptises; it expounds and teaches; it offers the Eucharist; it gives praise. These things can be done in any convenient place. You can baptise in a river; you can teach on a mountain or from a boat; and you can offer the Eucharist on any table. The Church needs to do these things. But as necessary acts they do not demand special places: not special places in order to remain the corporate acts of the Church. But of course there is the weather, which is often against you. And there are, from time to time, people who are against you, people who want to put a stop to what you are doing. And so it is, and has been, convenient for the Church to have shelter and security. This usually means buildings. Now shelter and security are matters of convenience. It's preferable to have them, but not essential. To be conveniently housed merelY conveniently housed, the Church requires very little of a building. You see, we have buildings which WIll serve. Our technological equipment can now produce very economical structures, designed to meet minimum levels of convenience with least amount of material and effort. To be conveniently housed, the Church requires a more or less uncluttered space, big enough to contain its members in the particular place, and safe against weather and aggressive intrusion. You can have it more tasteful and retain the advantages of prefabrication. Some may think it will then rank as architecture. We also have buildings of what is called 'traditional' construction which will meet the requirements. But then of course we always have had buildings of traditional construction. In all these buildings you can use tables, and chairs, and reading desks, and little platforms, and bowls of water. And so you can do all the things