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Is there a reason for the architectural differences between Catholic churches and Protestant churches?
Nov 06, 2008 by Anonymous | Posted in Religion & Spirituality
The Catholic churches I'm referring to have very high ceilings, stained glass windows, lots of artwork depicting Christ and the saints, different colored tiles on the floor that add visual texture, and other various artistic detail in the sanctuary. The Protestant (for example: Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Church of Christ) churches I have visited are very simple in comparison- much lower ceilings, no stained-glass windows, no artwork of Christ inside the sanctuary, one color of carpet in the sanctuary, and very little if any artistic detail inside.
My question isn't regarding what is better, but is there a historical reason for this difference? Does it relate to the Protestant Reformation? Did Protestant church leaders, years ago, condemn certain architectural elements as being profane, unnecessary, or distracting for worship? Or is it because the Catholic churches have been around longer, time-wise, so they have those elements that were influential at that time in history, while the Protestant churches were built later and made to be more cost-efficient?
Thanks for your opinions and information.
Yes.
Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, God the Son, in the Eucharist (Holy Communion). This Real Presence resides in each Catholic Church in the tabernacle. Thus each church is both the house of God and a house of worship.
A Protestant church were the members do not believe in the Real Presence is just a house of worship.
The guidelines of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops "Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship" state that:
A church building "is both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as reflective of the community that celebrates there."
For the entire document, see: http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/livingstones.shtml
With love in Christ.
imacatholic2 | Nov 06, 2008
$$$$
Steve N | Nov 06, 2008
A church is the gathering of the people to worship God. The others are just buildings.
Eza L | Nov 06, 2008
Yes, Catholic Churches reflect the materialistic and worldly mindset of the Catholic denomination and especially clergy.
gauke_2033 | Nov 06, 2008
It's a bit of both. Protestants are against using imagery/excessive decoration in church as they consider it idolatry. This ideology led to a general move towards plain architecture. However, it's also a matter of fashion at the time - and you will not see much difference between a modern protestant and a modern catholic church.
The most elaborate styles (renaissance, gothic) developed at times and in places when catholicism was dominant. The ideology may have started this, but history and to an extent fashion have ensured the trend continues
darwin | Nov 06, 2008
In Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066 lots of churches, monasteries and places of worship were built. A lot of them remain to this day. Originally they were Catholic but, when Henry VIII broke away from the pope in the mid 1500's all these Catholic churches were forced to become Protestant (Church of England), which they mostly remain to this day.
In answer to your question, there are no architectural differences between the two, as they were originally interchangeable.
Oldgrump | Nov 06, 2008
perhaps there is, although the major and irreconcilable difference to my knowledge, between Catholic and Protestants, is other that I don't know what do they protest about?, is that Protestants, approved the use of the Rod and the force to correct and teach the child, to teach a/o control the child, they approved spanking, the Catholic church uses common senses, reasoning, and intelligence to set the path straight. between parents Children's and grownups(per-say)?
because we where all create Equal, not the same, But Equal.
Jesus own words condemn the use of force against the Children's, "Any one that can harm one of this Innocent Children's don't deserve to be a life", also Jesus said, "Children's will owned the World" <"Children's are my future and the future of Humanity". >
paradiseemperatorbluepinguin | Nov 06, 2008
The majesty of many old Catholic Churches is a testimony to the majesty of God. Old Catholic Churches were made big and beautiful because our God is big and beautiful
When the Protestant churches sprang up, they rejected anything Catholic, including the size and majesty of churches.
Sldgman | Nov 06, 2008
Painting living room with high ceilings?
Feb 12, 2007 by Janade | Posted in Decorating & Remodeling
We bought a house that has a living room with a two-story high ceiling. Halfway up the walls (where a regular ceiling might be) there is a cornice (I guess that is what it is called -- it is an architectural detail that extends about an inch out from the wall and is about three inches high. There are actually two of them, side-by-side, extending around the room, with a three-inch flat part between the two).
I have no idea how to paint this room. Should I paint the whole wall (including the cornice) one color? Should I paint a different color above the cornice and on the ceilings? Should I paint the walls the same color, but paint the cornice a different color? I know the colors I like (sage greens, tans, browns, etc) -- and then I planned to paint the ceiling a beige color. However, the walls and this cornice thing have me stumped.
You might want to treat the cornices as you would trim and paint them the same color as the rest of the trim in your home. (I did that with mine in my living room with an 18 foot high ceiling.) You can also use the cornice as a dividing line between your ceiling color and your wall color if the height of your ceiling is making the room seem cold. I continued the wall color all the way up to the ceiling and left the architectural detail white but I have two walls painted green and two walls painted taupe. This technique is called color blocking. I took the area between the two trims and used a type of border called anagylpta which is a raised patterned wallpaper border that is paintable. This makes it appear that there is another piece of molding or trim between the two cornices and ties them together. Using this color blocking technique you will be able to incorporate all of your favorite colors if you stay in the same hue. (You do this by looking at the paint samples and choosing say, the third one down, for each color you desire.) It has been featured in several design magazines and won some design awards, so besides being a unique treatment, it is a show stopper as well.
eskie lover | Feb 12, 2007
Design Dilemma: Dealing with Low Ceilings

Got low ceilings? Chances are, you’ve got low spirits too. After all, there are few connivance problems as confounding as how to make a room feel auspicious, spacious and inviting when ceilings are low and oppressive. There’s just no way around it, low ceilings seem to instantly throw up down the design quotient of any room. So what steps can you take to improve the look and suffer of a room with ceilings so low you can touch them?
1.) Eliminate chair rails and other prone architectural details. If your ceilings are only seven or eight feet high, chances are, lead rails and other horizontal features will make them feel even take down. It’s a little bit like how wearing a thick belt will not accentuate your height or litheness. If you want to keep the detail, shift its placement on the obstacle. A chair rail is normally placed about one-third up the length of a obstacle. If you’ve got low ceilings, place it lower than usual to trick the eye. Upon eliminating thick baseboards.
2.) If you use crown molding keep it thin. On ceilings under 9 feet, it’s to all intents wise to keep crown molding at a depth of only two or three inches.
3.) Keep the ceiling color lighter than the walls. Unblemished and bright ceilings help encourage the illusion of higher ceilings, since they draw nigh your eye upward. Decorators also often opt to paint ceilings with a paint that has a slight lustre, which helps reflect light around the room. Another decorating defraud: paint the first two or three inches of ceiling surrounding the walls the same color as the walls to give the phantom of taller walls. In general, lighter and brighter cover colors can keep a room from feeling cave-like. Darker floors, in cartel with a light ceiling will also make ceilings appear higher. ...
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