The influence of Protestant doctrine on the development of church architecture.

Abstract

Church architecture has evolved dramatically since its inception. It has changed shape, size and form, from simple houses converted to meeting places, to grand Gothic cathedrals, to high-tech auditoriums and modern structures of various shapes and sizes. Throughout the ages there have been many factors that have played a role in this evolution. Not only religious factors, but also economic, social, and political factors, have all contributed to the dynamic changes in church architecture. This thesis focuses on the manner in which the Protestant doctrine has influenced the development of church architecture. This research explores the validity of the idea that spaces and forms of architecture are influenced by the values and beliefs of the people they belong to. There are many movements within Protestantism; because of this there are a variety of architectural forms for their buildings, therefore there is no particular Protestant church architectural style. This study determines how different doctrines and values have influenced church design throughout the ages, through examining various examples of religious architecture, focusing on the doctrinal issues that have played a major part in the design. This is not a comprehensive survey of the history of church architecture. Theoretical discussions on place, meaning and the concept of function are directly relevant this study, which seeks to find ordering principles that inform the creation of functional and meaningful places for people. The main principle that arose from this research is that people, their beliefs and values, and the site need to be the primary design generators in the design of a church complex as they are in any other building.