Compass Life Adult Sunday School
Jay Wertin
November 29, 2015
“The Churches”
Background Information
“Churches” are meeting places for an assembly of worshippers to gather together and glorify God. Our
current word “church” derives from the German word kirche. But the etymological chain runs back
through Old Dutch = kirk; to Greek = kyriakon which is a combination of two Greek words kyrios = Lord
and oikia = house. The Lord’s House. The first “House of the Lord” was the Tabernacle in the
wilderness (Ex. 25-27) in approximately 1446 BC. The next “House of God” was the first temple built
during the reign of Solomon (970-930) and destroyed in 586 BC. After the return the 2nd Temple was
built and dedicated in 515 BC (Book of Ezra) and later greatly expanded and enhanced by Herod in the
1st century BC which was later destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. The earliest Christian churches
were house churches until the legalization of Christianity in AD 313 by the Emperor Constantine and
the Edict of Milan.
General Information
Tabernacles, temples and churches have similar characteristics and purposes:
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As building techniques improved temples and churches tended to be:
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2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Basilica = is an architectural form, but is also used to designate a church that may or may not be of this
basilican form.
Cathedral = is a designation for a basilica or church for the seat of the bishop in that region.
Byzantine Architecture (6th-15th Century)
The birth of Byzantine architecture is attributed to the Emperor Justinian, who ruled in Constantinople
from 527-565. He went on an ambitious church building program in the hopes of uniting the empire
through Christianity and not through swords and spears.
Major Characteristics of Byzantine Architecture:
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The Hagia Irene (548), Hagia Sophia (537), Basilica of San Vitale (547), and Saint Mark’s Basilica in
Venice (1084-a replica of the destroyed Basilica of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople) are considered
to be the best examples of Byzantine architecture.
Western/Romanesque Architecture (9th-12th Century)
The type of architecture attributed to medieval Europe. It is characterized by is massive qualities.
Thick walls, round arches, sturdy pillars, barrel or groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading
are the features of Romanesque architecture. These types of churches usually follow a very regular,
symmetrical plan with an overall appearance of simplicity. There is a general lack of many iconic
Romanesque churches because of the turmoil throughout the region and the reconstruction of
churches in one of the later styles. Many churches in the Western architectural traditions
(Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque) follow the Latin Cross floor plan.
Gothic Architecture (12th-16th Century)
Gothic architecture originated in France and was prevalent mostly in northern Europe and Great
Britain. Late Renaissance designers attributed the adjective “Gothic” to this type of architecture as a
term of derision, referring to the barbarous German style of the invaders who conquered the Western
Roman Empire. There is a predominance of Gothic-style churches throughout Europe and Great
Britain mainly due to the increasing wealth of the monarchs and the rise in monasticism.
Gothic Architecture is characterized by:
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2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________________
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The pointed arch is one of the key architectural transitions from Romanesque to Gothic. It’s structural
properties allowed construction to go from massive to more light and airy. Notre Dame (1187),
Chartres Cathedral (1220), Salisbury Cathedral (1220-1320) and Florence Cathedral (1296-1436) are
considered to be some of the finest examples of Gothic church architecture.
Renaissance Architecture (15th-17th)
The emergence of the Renaissance was a very purposeful decision to bring back a past “Golden Age” of
classical thought, literature, art and architecture of the Greek and Roman cultures. It can be most
clearly seen in the revival of selected elements and materials of these cultures. The Renaissance began
in Florence, Italy, spreading to the rest of Italy and other European countries from there.
Renaissance architecture is characterized by:
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Baroque Architecture (Counter-Reformation) (16th-18th)
-The Baroque movement has its roots in the counter-reformation following the Council of Trent (15451563). As the Catholic Church was seeking to assert its influence, architecture of this period tended
toward visible displays of wealth and power.
Baroque architecture is characterized by:
1. Explorations of form, light and shadow, and dramatic intensity, but retaining classical features
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Accessible architecture and embellishments with cleaner lines and modernist tendency
4. ______________________________________________________________________________________
12/6 “Modern Praise Music w/ Pastor Ben”