[DOC] Ex Voto: Votive Giving Across Cultures (Bard Graduate Center - Cultural Histories of the Material World) by From Bard Graduate Center at Arts-Photography

Description

Buildings and landscapes are as much a part of the Christian church as its creedsmdash;reflecting the faith and proclaiming God. The architecture of the churchrsquo;s structures and the curating of its grounds are unique windows into the churchrsquo;s history and the shape of its theological commitments. Birthed in the iconoclastic spirit of the Reformation; the scapes of Protestant churches have experienced massive shifts in design and scope. From humble beginningsmdash;small buildings and cemeteriesmdash;churches today can occupy thousands of square feet across hundreds of acres. The modern megachurch; with its extensive campuses; parking lots; and sprawling lawns; has changed how we think about the church and its spaces. Form follows function; and theology is in both. The shifts in scale; style; and symbol within the churchrsquo;s common spaces reflect changes in ecclesial priorities; even as they form the theological imagination in new ways. In ChurchScape; Susan Bratton chronicles the story of the Protestant churchrsquo;s transformation of landscape and building. Citing the influence of college campuses on megachurch architecture; Bratton examines the features that are a part of many megachurch complexes; including waterscapes; iconography; and outdoor art. Taking readers on a cross-country journey to over two hundred churches; Bratton traces the movement from the small parish building of the nineteenth century to the extensive complexes that form todayrsquo;s churchscapes. As she moves from church to church; Bratton describes how all the churchrsquo;s spacesmdash;buildings; greens; gardens; and gatewaysmdash;together shape its practices; name its beliefs; and form its life together. Brattonrsquo;s work offers the first historical and theological analysis for the megachurch and its physical planners and planters. She demands that all of us look with new eyes at the ways the church may be an innovator without being disruptive; a place of community without becoming exclusive; and a site of abundance without decadence. The church-in-place must consider how its scapes and spaces reflect its sacred life.