The House of God: Church Architecture, Style and History

The grandeur of St. Peter’s, the Baroque ecstasy of the churches at Cholula in Mexico, the intimate peace of Fairford Church in Gloucestershire… The two thousand years’ heritage of Christian churches is a fascinating one. For anyone interested in the evolution of architectural styles, the subject is of inescapable interest. For a far wider group of people, however, it is clear that churches are much more than architectural monuments. Through their rich historical associations and special emotional quality that is largely denied to secular buildings, they exert a power that crosses national boundaries and even beliefs. Edward Norman sees churches as both acts of faith and works of art. The clarity, knowledge, and insight of his chronological survey are supported and enhanced by a brilliantly researched collection of illustrations. The result is a perfect mix between the most-loved master buildings such as Hagia Sophia and the freshness of the less familiara mission church in Paraguay or a Baroque shrine in Goa. Whether coming from the Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant traditions, whether drawn to the sublimity of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris or the simplicity of a Puritan chapel, Christians everywhere will respond to Norman’s celebration of churches. 387 illustrations, 80 in color.