Overview

This volume examines a diverse set of spaces and buildings seen through the lens of popular practice and belief to shed light on the complexities of sacred space in America. Contributors explore how dedication sermons document shifting understandings of the meetinghouse in early 19th-century Connecticut; the changes in evangelical church architecture during the same century and what that tells us about evangelical religious life; the impact of contemporary issues on Catholic church architecture; the impact of globalization on the construction of traditional sacred spaces; the urban practice of Jewish space; nature worship and Central Park in New York; and the mezuzah and domestic sacred space; and, finally, the spiritual aspects of African American yard art.

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9780253218223

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Reviews

<p> This valuable collection of original essays... [is] readable and wellillustrated, and should be eminently teachable in a wide variety of courses....Recommended. -- Choice

This valuable collection of original essays, edited by Nelson (architectural history, Univ. of Virginia), arose from a conference on the theme of sacred space in the U.S. The component chapters, mostly by younger scholars, cover a broad range of topics, including Puritans and Anglicans in Colonial America, Central Park and the Jewish erub (ritual Sabbath boundary) in New York City, African American yard art, Roman Catholic church design since Vatican II, and contemporary evangelical megachurches. Nelson's introductory essay summarizes recent scholarly debate on the nature and character of sacred space. Though it by no means resolves these issues, it constitutes a stimulating contribution to the discussion, into which several of the contributors enter. An extensive bibliography is also most useful. The essays are readable and well illustrated, and should be eminently teachable in a wide variety of courses. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper level undergraduates and above; general reader P. W./P>--P. W. Williams, Miami University Choice

<p> This valuable collection of original essays, edited by Nelson (architectural history, Univ. of Virginia), arose from a conference on the theme of sacred space in the U.S. The component chapters, mostly by younger scholars, cover a broad range of topics, including Puritans and Anglicans in Colonial America, Central Park and the Jewish erub (ritual Sabbath boundary) in New York City, African American yard art, Roman Catholic church design since Vatican II, and contemporary evangelical megachurches. Nelson's introductory essay summarizes recent scholarly debate on the nature and character of sacred space. Though it by no means resolves these issues, it constitutes a stimulating contribution to the discussion, into which several of the contributors enter. An extensive bibliography is also most useful. The essays are readable and well illustrated, and should be eminently teachable in a wide variety of courses. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper--level undergraduates and above; general reader --P. W./P>--P. W. Williams, Miami University Choice (01/01/2007)

Author Information

Louis P. Nelson is Assistant Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia. He is author of Pulpits, Piety, and Power: Anglican Architecture and Material Culture in Colonial South Carolina (forthcoming).

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