The Architecture of Eco-Theology: Towards a New Typology for Christian Sacred Space

This paper will begin by exploring the underlying scriptural and theological foundations for a Christian response to the ecological crisis with particular focus on the writings of cultural historian, Father Thomas Berry, CP. It will then describe the first worship space in Canada that attempts to embody the emergent “Eco-theology” to invoke both the transcendental and imminent presence of the divine by reconsidering every design decision from first principles. As articulated in its architecture, the traditional elements of Roman Catholic sacred space have been re-imagined and given unique expression to emphasize that when we gather for Christian worship, we do so within the greater context of creation. St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish church therefore represents a distinctly new typology for Christian Worship that contributes towards an understanding of early scriptural teachings which emphasized the sacredness of all creation and not just the sacredness of humankind. The new building as sacred space presents a “Gestalt whole”, and like the medieval cathedrals of Europe, becomes itself a form of Catechetical pedagogy, engaging the senses, demanding reflection, and inviting transformation.

How YouTube Mediations of Global Contemporary Congregational Songs Contribute to an Understanding of the Genre

Contemporary congregational songs (ccs) are a global genre of Christian worship, driven presently from Western production centres. Streaming media platforms, in particular YouTube, have become essential vehicles for disseminating these songs globally, as well as a way for fans to contribute to the popularity of songs through views, likes, comments, sharing, and uploading their own fan-created videos. While this activity has had some scholarly attention, it has not focussed on the varied forms these videos take and how they contribute to and nuance the definition of the genre. This article utilises the most sung songs data from recent Christian Copyright Licensing International reports across five regions to establish the 32 most sung ccs globally. A media studies analysis is then conducted, with contributions from musicology and theology, of the most viewed versions of those ccs on YouTube. Three typical video forms are identified and discussed in relation to the way they reflect and shape perceptions of the contemporary congregational song genre.

Devotional Practices and the Development of the Church Building

Orthodox Christian worship and devotions determined the planning, organization, and form of religious architecture in Byzantium. However, a church does not merely house religious events; it also has an impact on the way they are accommodated within a defined space. This chapter presents Byzantine church building as it was understood by its users and developed in relation to various segments of liturgical ritual and forms of devotion. An effort is made to address all periods, include developments in regions outside the capital, and examine some manifestations beyond the church building. At the end, there is an overview of issues and problems in the study of the subject, and of potential research directions in the field.

Rethinking ‘active participation’ after a pandemic

This article argues that the reimagining of Christian worship during the coronavirus pandemic beginning in 2020 calls for a consequent repositioning of the term ‘active participation’ in worship. It argues that the various gifts and capacities of a dispersed worshipping community point to kinds of participation in typical ‘in-person’ worship that are often overlooked. Reference is made to Paul’s theology of the members of the body of Christ and to the practice of music.

The Abbey of Werden on the Frankish-Saxon Frontier. The Depictions of Landscapes and Emotions in the vita Gregorii and the vitae Liudgeri

This study explores the depictions of landscapes and emotions in the ninth-century hagiographies associated with Liudger: the three vitae Liudgeri and Liudger’s own vita Gregorii. The Frisian missionary founded the monastery of Werden, situated near the Frankish-Saxon frontier. It will be argued that previous historiography on early medieval frontiers has predominantly focused on the military nature of frontiers. Here, more cultural or symbolic natures of the Frankish-Saxon frontier will be discussed. The hagiographical narratives will be examined in conjunction with the notion of a frontier as a ‘third space’. The vitae Liudgeri shaped a discourse that legitimated Liudger’s translation to Werden. This resulted in the creation of a new place of Christian worship in the competitive landscape of post-conquest Saxony, as part of the Christianization of the region. Monasteries like Werden were the places where new missionaries were educated who would continue this Christianization. Exemplary emotional behaviour of the saints, narrated in hagiographies, could help instruct this new generation. Altfrid and Liudger tried to dissuade emotions of anger, indicated by ira or furor, with their hagiographical narratives. These two perspectives offer a glimpse into the attempts of a local monastery to stand out in the Frankish-Saxon frontier.

Aménagement d'ambons dans une église rurale récemment découverte à Koustilya (Sud-ouest de la Tunisie)

There were two excavation missions at the site of Koustilya, in 2017 and in 2018, to investigate the remains of a late rural church. The excavations identified the monument as a building for Christian worship. The architecture of this monument (three aisles and an apse and associated rooms) suggests a Christian church. This church enriches the list of rural Christian churches in Tunisia and additionally has some special features: among the architectural components discovered in this church are two fixed ambons built into the masonry. These give this church a particular importance, somewhat unique when compared to other Christian churches in the ancient Maghreb.

Λογικὴ λατρεία (Rom 12,1). The Pauline Idea of Worship between the Hebrew and Hellenistic Worlds

This essay focuses on a passage from the Letter to the Romans, better on a famous expression: λογικὴ λατρεία (Rom 12,1). After having studied its context in some depth, it shows how Paul operates in a dual direction: the apostle removes from the expression any kind of semantic link bound up with the cult; he also attributes to it a profane semantic. Paul does not intend to oppose the two cults, Jewish and Christian. His words imply that, like the ancient Israel before them, the Christian believers should also be distinguished for their cult. Christian worship is conceived in a different way. It is far from being a spiritualisation of the cult. Such a reduction is excluded by the object of the sacrifice, «your bodies». Paul operates in two directions: on the one hand, he avoids the trap of supersessionism with regard to the Jewish cult; on the other hand, he excludes a spiritualisation (or interiorisation) of Greek religious practices. Paul’s language is distinct both from the great tradition of Israel and from the Hellenistic world.

ON SOME CHRISTIAN CULT ARTIFACTS FROM THE REKOM SANCTUARY

В статье собраны сведения о предметах христианского культа из известного святилища Реком в Цейском ущелье горной Осетии. В сообщениях путешественников и ученых, других источниках XIX – начала XX в. мы встречаем многочисленные упоминания данной категории вещей, хранившихся в самом почитаемом осетинском святилище. В музейных коллекциях также имеются христианские реликвии из Рекома. Они свидетельствуют о почитании святилища как приверженцами традиционных верований, так и осетинами-христианами. Факт одновременного нахождения в Рекоме традиционных культовых подношений и христианских предметов говорит о веротерпимости осетин и исключительном сакральном значении Рекома. This article contains information about the objects of Christian worship from the famous Rekom sanctuary in the Tsei gorge of mountain Ossetia. In the messages of travelers and scientists, other sources of the XIX - early XX centuries we find numerous references to this category of things were kept in Rekom - the most revered Ossetian sanctuary. There are also Christian relics from Rekom in the museums’ collections. They testify to the veneration of the sanctuary by both adherents of traditional beliefs and Ossetian Christians. The fact of the simultaneous presence of traditional religious offerings and Christian objects in the Rekom speaks of the religious tolerance of the Ossetians and the exclusive sacred significance of Rekom.