church buildings ritual Flashcards
1
Q
11.1
domus ecclesiae?
A
- literally the “house of the church”;
- an originally domestic dwelling, converted for special uses;
- there are common meals and areas for baptism;
- This is also mirrored by the Jewish Diaspora when they didn’t have a synagogue.
- Not a secret service, people still know you’re practicing church.
2
Q
Dura-Europos?
A
- knocking out the walls to have larger spaces for worship, such as to enlarge room 4 (conversion of room 6 into a baptistry);
- Mid-3rd century.
- More religious art used, e.g. frescoes.
- frescoes with common Christian themes.
3
Q
Intermediate Stage: aula ecclesiae
A
- “hall of the church” in Latin;
- still a domestic residence outside, more obvious and larger and pieced together;
- not secret, recognizable by authorities and others
4
Q
titulus? insulae?
A
- a legal term referring to the deed;
- larger urban assemblies in insulae (or tenements);
- here, later converted to basilica;
- insulae means island and tenement block;
5
Q
Imperial Patronage?
A
- Constantine as God’s vicar on earth —> new formulation of God as emperor of Heaven;
- requires increased prestige;
- Clothing of priests borrows features from Roman officialdom and court;
- a new visual approach.
6
Q
Basilica?
A
- modification of the Roman legal (etc.) buildings;
- long rectangle, with a nave and side aisles set off by colonnades;
- often with an apse at one end;
- a forecourt at the other;
- after a certain point, usually oriented to the east; Pointed towards Jerusalem.
7
Q
Apse?
A
- Gk. ᾽αψίς, lit. “arch, vault”;
- semicylindrical space;
- often with an arch at the entrance;
- could house seating for clergy;
8
Q
Nave?
A
- from Lat. navis, ‘ship’;
- main body of church for people rather than clergy;
- clergy often separated, in the east, by iconostasis; the clerical side contains the altar.
9
Q
Baptistery?
A
- usually separate, to the west of the church;
- often round or octagonal;
- water source;
- with increased infant baptism, increasingly internal;
10
Q
Liturgy?
A
- Greek for ‘people’ and ‘work’;
- originally public work of any kind;
- in the Septuagint the term means service to the Temple;
- Prescribed, public work;
- The aim: atmosphere of awe and holy fear.
- Generally conservative.
- Very consistent, but not standardised, there were still different.
- Scripture reading and interpretation.
- Prayer leading up to the Eucharist and Communion.
11
Q
Eucharist
A
- Gk.εὐχαριστία, ‘thanksgiving’
- central act of worship
- NT institution accounts
- 2nd century instructions, including the Didache, Justin;
- worthiness or unworthiness to receive —> spatial divisions;
- gradually evolving Eucharistic Prayer;
increasingly separated from agape, or communal meal
12
Q
Easter Orthodox vs Western Catholic Church Architecture
A
- Eastern/Orthodox Churches usually have a dome, there’s a different cross.
- Western/Catholic Churches more gothic architecture style.
13
Q
Approaches to Church Architecture: Krautheimar, White, Theological vs Modern
A
- Krautheimar: Art historical, how it grows out of late imperial art.
- White: Social historical, how people use the spaces, what is available to them.
Looks at Christian Architecture in its Roman context AND its Jewish context. - Theological context
- Modern context – performance/ritual approach: what are you doing in the
church?
14
Q
Paul on the house of the church
A
- Early Christian transformation, this is very soon after the death of Christ.
- Meetings seem to be done in the home, perhaps a dining room.
- There is often a common meal shared by those who attend.
15
Q
Interior vs exterior church
A
- Outer walls are plainer to be less ostentatious – the church is for God not to impress the people.
- Inside the church much more art and colour.
