Author Archive for Mark Wilson

Church Architecture 101, Part 5: Architecture and Second-Hand Heresy
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Church Architecture 101, Part 5: Architecture and Second-Hand Heresy

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Since the last installment, a gentleman who read these articles made the following observation about architecture. He said there are two “courts.” One that is ‘modern’ and the other that is ‘historical.’ He justified having a preference by saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” He also made the point that there are […]

Church Architecture 101, Part Four- Renaissance Reality Check
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Church Architecture 101, Part Four- Renaissance Reality Check

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It is impossible to discuss Renaissance architecture without discussing Leon Battista Alberti. He is hailed as the quintessential Renaissance man, and I suppose he is.  He was very worldly.  The illegitimate son of Lorenzo Alberti, it seems that he had a serious inferiority complex and set out early to prove his worth.  One could say […]

Church Architecture 101, Part Three
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Church Architecture 101, Part Three

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This article focuses on the meaning and uses of the term “tradition.” The next article will speak of the serious error of nostalgia as a motivation for design. I believe it was C.S. Lewis who coined the term “verbicide”. The meaning and significance of the words “tradition” and “nostalgia” have both suffered from this. Here […]

Church Architecture 101, Part Two
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Church Architecture 101, Part Two

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The first step in renewing architecture in the Catholic Church is to make a commitment to the truth. As the Church teaches, Truth is a person, not a concept. We know the “Truth will set us free,” and so it is our desire to be free from any and all erroneous beliefs that enslave us. […]

Church Architecture 101, Part One
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Church Architecture 101, Part One

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There are strong feelings being expressed about church architecture today.  It is my hope in writing these articles that the reader will feel empowered to think for himself and not feel obligated to follow directions established by art and architectural historians who intentionally and sometimes unintentionally use their ‘special’ language and terminology to make the […]