DOC Reshaping Museum Space (Museum Meanings) by Suzanne MacLeod in Arts-Photography

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The architectural ancestors of Contemporary ChristianityBy David ArbogastI sometimes despair when I encounter various individuals who either believe the Contemporary Christianity is a magnificent new revelation from God or is the bane from the pit of darkness. Rarely is anyone remotely aware of the long history behind Contemporary Christianity even though the nineteenth-century architectural legacy is still very much with us. Dr. Kilde has done a great service (pardon the pun) for both American architectural and theological historians with this book. She traces the evolution of the American church through the nineteenth century in it architectural manifestations. Her scholarship is impeccable and her examples superlative. The text is amply illustrated with historic photographs; both of exteriors but primarily of interiors. I highly recommend this book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Informative study of the origins of the "auditorium church" -- but not a comprehensive examination of the subjectBy Richard J. CawthonA thoughtful; well written; and very informative examination of the development of the "auditorium church" in the late nineteenth century; along with some discussion of its decline and eventual resurgence in popularity in the twentieth century. Although the book is an excellent treatment of the subject; it does have; in my estimation; several weaknesses:(1.) For a book that addresses an architectural subject; it doesnt have nearly enough illustrations - although because the author is a social and religious historian; instead of an architectural historian; this is understandable.(2.) Because the book is concerned more with the origins of the auditorium church than with its spread; it focuses mostly on major churches in large Northern and Midwestern cities; and doesnt pay much attention to the spread of the auditorium church plan to smaller communities and the construction of auditorium churches in brick or wood instead of stone. The widespread adoption of the auditorium church in the South is scarcely alluded to at all.(3.) In part because of that focus on Northern cities; the last chapter; addressing the decline of the popularity of the auditorium church; completely misses the entire phenomenon of the use of the auditorium plan in countless Neoclassical-style churches in the 1910s and 20s. The book asserts that the "neomedieval" auditorium churches were directly supplanted in popularity by churches exhibiting a more formal and liturgically-directed Neo-Gothic style as early as the 1910s. In the South; however; the adoption of Neo-Gothic architecture for evangelical churches did not become widespread until the late 1920s and early 1930s; after the Neoclassical style had been popular for two decades.(4.) Again; because of the emphasis on major churches in Northern cites; little attention is given to the dissemination of auditorium church plans and their promotion by boards of church extension; especially by the Southern Baptist Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church; South. The fact that Southern Baptists continued to build churches using the auditorium form into the 1920s is mentioned briefly in the last chapter (p. 214); but this is treated as if it were an exception to the national trend; and the architects who designed many of these churches; such as C.W. Bulger of Dallas; Tex.; and R.H. Hunt of Chattanooga; Tenn.; are not mentioned at all.In summary; the book is an excellent examination of the origins and early development of the auditorium church; but it falls short as an exposition of the popularity of the auditorium church; as an architectural form; from a broader perspective.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating Church History through the Lens of ArchitectureBy praxishabitusI found the history and illustrations found in this book unforgettable. I think of it every time I drive past a church now because I now understand so much more about what is embedded in the history of different forms of chuch buildings. The aim of the book is to explore the history of American Protestant architecture; but the real meat of the book is a marvelous guide to American church history as a whole. I learned a lot.A new book that uses Kildes contribution for understanding a vibrant church is called Hollywood Faith: Holiness; Prosperity; and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church. This church meets in a converted movie theater in Hollywood. The book shows how having church in a theater shapes the religion of the church. I highly recommend it.