1. …the actual shapes of Church
Sacred spaces
…the actual shapes of Church or
What have buildings
got to do with
being church
anyway?
Pete Phillips, New Testament Tutor, Cliff College

2. “The nature of Christian worship is such that it does not of itself require any particular architectural setting. It does not centre in a cult object, such as an image, that has to be protected within a shrine. It does not require a large item of liturgical furniture, such as a stone altar, that has to be housed in a special way. It can be and has been celebrated in a dining room, a hospital ward or an open field. Nevertheless, throughout the centuries, it has had an architectural setting, which has expressed the Christian understanding of worship. Hence the study of worship historically cannot be divorced from a knowledge of the buildings in which it was conducted.”

3. Outside view of typical Hellenistic Temple: The Erechtheum, Akropolis, Athens. 421 - 405 BC.
Plan of a typical Hellenistic Temple, 1st Century AD

4. The building becomes a symbol of what church is all about

5. Plan of GAMLA Synagogue, golan heights, c.60AD

6. Synagogue = public gathering or public building?

7. Plan of St Peter’s House and church, Capernaum
1st century = black
4th century = hatched
5th century = white

8. The archetypal shape of church is fundamentally domestic
Domus Ecclesiae
– the home of the church
The archetypal shape of church is fundamentally domestic
Plan of a typical Roman domus

9. Plan of a typical Roman domus
T = Taberna (shop), A = Atrium (reception hall), V = Vestibulum
C = Cubiculum (small room), Cu = Culina (kitchen), Ta = Tablinum (study),
Tri = Triclinium (dining room), P = Peristyle (courtyard/garden), E = Exedra (garden room)
Plan of a typical Roman domus

10. View from the street through the vestibulum to atrium, house of the tragic poet, pompeii

11. Plan of dura-europos house church, c.260

12. Synagogue = public gathering or public building?

13. Plan of basilica in pompeii, c.79AD

14. Plan of basilica church, c.440 and to present day

15. Santa Costanza, Rome,
Plan and interior of martyrium church, c.350

16. St Laurence,
Bradford-upon-Avon
Plan and view of porch-church, c.950

17. Plan and model of chartres cathedral, c.1200

18. Plan of canterbury cathedral, c.1200

19. Plan of auditory church, c.1xxx

20. Baroque church interiors, c.1700-1800

21. preaching house interior, c.1800

22. Interior of notre dame de haut, ronchamp, 1956

23. Interior of schloss rothenfels, 1928

24. ST MARIA IN DEN BENDEN, 1958
Plan of 20th Century domus ecclesiae design

25. Megachurch
Cell Church
Seeker Church

26. Parallel universe…
Graceway…
Spine…
Bread and breakfast…
Glenbrook community…

27. Community shaped
Domus ecclesiae design
– old or new!!!
Domus ecclesiae
– god’s people at home