Church Design How we can build beautiful churches
	Renovation Issues A way out of wreck-o- vation and iconoclasm?
	Criticism Reviews of churches -- good, bad and ugly
	History & Tradition Church precedents and their importance
	The Catholic Church & Architecture Relevant documents

 

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	Books Required reading on church architecture
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	Links List of helpful resources for further inquiry

	Glossary of Church Architectural Terms By Michael S. Rose
	So that you'll know your apse from your narthex

apse: a semicircular extension of a church building; a central apse would serve as the back of the sanctuary.

altarpiece: a painted or carved image or images depicting the dedication of a church (e.g. St. Sebastian, the Annunciation, the Sacred Heart); they are either hung on the wall behind the altar or attached to the back of the altar itself.

altar rail: a low wall, usually balustraded, which distinguishes the sanctuary from the nave; also known as “communion rail”; it is here where communicants kneel to receive the Eucharist.

altar stone: a flat, solid piece of natural stone upon which the priest places the Host and Chalice during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; it...

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In Tiers of Glory A beautifully illustrated history of church architecture by Michael S. Rose
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Ugly as Sin Why they changed our churches from sacred places to meeting spaces by Michael S. Rose
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