Church Architecture: Building and Renovating for Christian Worship

by James F. White, Susan J. White

New edition for congregations planning to build or renew their church facilities. Now includes elements, which have become prominent in recent times including the use of visuals, electronic instruments, and the need for flexible space to accommodate the various configurations and multiple uses to which church space is put.

172 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2018

Reviews

[Robert Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Whites - as usual - write with clarity and insight, offering the reader a very helpful book on the question of church architecture and its construction or re-construction. Its clarity, comprehensiveness, and content are filled with ideas worth pondering - and learning.

[Jeff Garrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short and concise work. The White’s seem to provide an interesting blend of a love for the traditional (especially pipe organs) and also for the informal and flexible when it comes to designing spaces. They are not big fans of pews, preferring the flexibility of chairs. They come down hard on having choirs in front of a congregation, making the case that having the choir in the back is a way to enhance congregational singing (they do look at other alternatives for choir's location). They see the choir’s main role as aiding the congregation's singing. They are in favor of pipe organs, thinkg that such instruments will also draw the most talented musicians to the church (I wonder where they get this idea as many schools have discountinued organ programs). They spend just a few pages on other musical options (orchestras and guitars) and mostly ignore the whole idea of praise bands/teams. Their book is most valuable in the questions they ask around the pulpit and the needs for the sacraments, where their questions force building committees to reflect theologically on the use and purpose of architecture. They tend to like informal/simple settings for church, but draw the line, suggesting that reading from a from paperback Bibles show we don’t care… book.

Even though I don't agree with everything in the book, I recommend it for anyone interested in church construction as they do force the reader to think theologically about architecture.

[Misty]

Interesting ideas and relevant arguments. It was fun to read about their interpretation of architecture as a setting for Christian worship of real congregations and their ideas on actions preformed by humans on a scale that is always that of the human body.

I read this from the point-of-view of an archaeologist. Many of these key and very 'modern' ideas can be stamped on the history of church buildings to give us a better idea of their past uses.

[Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic info. A bit too trendy.