The Ethics of the Empty Church: Anglicanism's Need for a Theology of Architecture
In this polemical paper, produced for the Churches, Communities, and Society conference at the Lincoln Theological Institute, University of Manchester, I argue that the Church of England has failed to develop a coherent or convincing theology of architecture. Such a failure raises practical problems...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2015]
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| In: |
Journal of Anglican studies
Year: 2015, Volume: 13, Issue: 2, Pages: 172-188 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CE Christian art KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KDE Anglican Church |
| Further subjects: | B
Architecture
B Church of England B Emotion B Establishment B Mission (international law B Heritage |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | In this polemical paper, produced for the Churches, Communities, and Society conference at the Lincoln Theological Institute, University of Manchester, I argue that the Church of England has failed to develop a coherent or convincing theology of architecture. Such a failure raises practical problems for an institution responsible for the care of 16,000 buildings, a quarter of which are of national or international importance. But it has also, I contend, produced an impoverished understanding of architecture's role as an instrument of mission and a tool for spiritual development. Following a historical survey of attitudes towards church buildings, this paper explores and criticizes the Church of England's current engagement with its architecture. It raises questions about what has been done and what has been said about churches. It argues that the Church of England lacks a theology of church building and church closing, and calls for work to develop just such a thing. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5278 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Anglican studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S1740355315000108 |