Beautiful Churches and Their Meaning

[ChristsSoldier115]

I've been skirting around this for far too long. I disagree with this church theologically, and anyone with a basic knowledge of the Reformation will know why, and trust me, that disagreement is very, very deep seated. It is, on the other hand, completely breathtaking, and I would go there in a heartbeat (though I'd probably keep loudly hinting that it was built on the backs of wronged Christians).

Ladies and gentlemen, the largest Confessional Lutheran church in the world:

St. Peter's Basilica:

Wasn't Martin Luther's visit to it one of the things that made him a bit more disillusioned with the catholic church? Honestly, if I ever end up in Italy for any reason I would be sure to go out of my way to visit it.

 

[WirSindBettler]

Wasn't Martin Luther's visit to it one of the things that made him a bit more disillusioned with the catholic church? Honestly, if I ever end up in Italy for any reason I would be sure to go out of my way to visit it.

No. If you remember the whole indulgences issue (which sparked the 95 theses) it basically boiled down to Johann Tetzel selling indulgences to German Christians in order to finance the construction of St. Peter's (the old Basilica having been neglected during the Avignon Papacy).

It was less of "visiting St. Peter's and making him disillusioned with Catholicism" and more "building the seat of Rome on the back of exploited Christians."

Thus, the big joke within Confessional Lutheranism is that St. Peter's is the biggest Lutheran church in the world.

 

[WirSindBettler]

First Presbyterian Church, Stamford, CT (known as the "Fish Church"):

 

[James Is Back]

Looks like something out of a sci fi movie

Nice looking though!

 

[WirSindBettler]

I want to discuss "Le Génie du Mal" [The Genius of Evil], a statue underneath the Pulpit of St. Paul's Cathedral in Liège, Belgium.

The statue represents the fallen Lucifer (in his role as Satan), and supposedly

"is so successful that Satanists regularly come to meditate at its feet: enough to incur damnation, indeed; its excommunication is being considered." (Georges Rouzeau, "Spotlight on Liège")

The statue contains many elements of Biblical and traditional allusion, such as "at the angel's feet, the dropped "forbidden fruit", an apple with bite marks, along with the broken-off tip of the sceptre, the stellar finial of which marks Lucifer as the Morning Star of classical tradition. The nails are narrow and elongated, like talons." (Le génie du mal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Lucifer, represented by a stunningly beautiful horned angel with the wings of a bat, is bound by chains, with a single tear running down his cheek.

I've never seen this statue in person, but one of my friends has, and he told me that simply by looking at it he felt strongly compelled to turn to two scriptural passages:

"Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. (Ezekiel 28:12-19)

and

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?" (Isaiah 14:12-17)

So, without further ado, "Le Génie du Mal":

The Cathedral

The Cathedral

The Pulpit

"Le Génie du Mal"

"Le Génie du Mal"

"Le Génie du Mal" as it stands within the pulpit.

 

[WirSindBettler]

Church on the Water, Japan

 

[WirSindBettler]

Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

No. If you remember the whole indulgences issue (which sparked the 95 theses) it basically boiled down to Johann Tetzel selling indulgences to German Christians in order to finance the construction of St. Peter's (the old Basilica having been neglected during the Avignon Papacy).

It was less of "visiting St. Peter's and making him disillusioned with Catholicism" and more "building the seat of Rome on the back of exploited Christians."

Thus, the big joke within Confessional Lutheranism is that St. Peter's is the biggest Lutheran church in the world.

That is what I was thinking of. thanks. I know St. Peters had something to do with it, in a sense.

 

[James Is Back]

I'd like to take a sledgehammer to that satan statue just to relieve my frustrations.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Aside from the rather unpleasant toenails the statue is rather well executed and the 'angel' is quite handsome.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I'd like to take a sledgehammer to that satan statue just to relieve my frustrations.

The symbolism is amazing; he can not wear the crown of life, as well as he is fettered, his scepter is broken (both symbolic of having no dominion over us) and the fruit of the tree in Eden lay discarded at his feet, symbolic of how faith and sacraments through Jesus Christ remove the stain of original sin. (I did not look this up, this is just what I see when I look upon this statue.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Aside from the rather unpleasant toenails the statue is rather well executed and the 'angel' is quite handsome.

Could the handsomeness be symbolic of the appeal of sin and temptation to sin?

 

[WirSindBettler]

Old South Church, Boston

 

[WirSindBettler]

Could the handsomeness be symbolic of the appeal of sin and temptation to sin?

"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness."
Ezekiel 28:17

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness."
Ezekiel 28:17

Ah, yes!

Thanks.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Church on the Water, Japan

In Japan it is really popular to construct "Christian" chapels as a wing of a large hotel. These chapels are really lovely. They are used to hold "Christian" wedding ceremonies for Japanese couples. Today it is very popular for a Japanese couple to have a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony on one day and a "Christian" wedding ceremony on another day, usually followed by a lavish Western-style reception in the hotel. If one attends the "Christian" wedding ceremony one would be hard put to find anything that differed significantly from similar ceremonies in America. The Japanese love the beauty and elegance of these ceremonies, although they certainly don't believe in Jesus Christ.

In China there is a similar cultural revolution starting, coupled with the heavy marketing of Santa Claus. Although it is now mid-April here in China it is not at all unusual to see the Jolly Old Elf in store windows.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Old South Church, Boston

I know this building well. This is actually the New Old South Church. The Old South Church is a different building in downtown Boston. Perhaps you could post some exterior views of it for us. Did you know that the very tall tower was in danger of collapse in the 1930's and was taken down and reconstructed to virtually match the original?

 

[WirSindBettler]

I know this building well. This is actually the New Old South Church. The Old South Church is a different building in downtown Boston. Perhaps you could post some exterior views of it for us. Did you know that the very tall tower was in danger of collapse in the 1930's and was taken down and reconstructed to virtually match the original?

This is the Old South Church, though some mistakenly call it the New Old South Church, mistaking the Old South Meeting House, posted earlier in this thread, for the original Old South Church.

 

[bbbbbbb]

This is the Old South Church, though some mistakenly call it the New Old South Church, mistaking the Old South Meeting House, posted earlier in this thread, for the original Old South Church.

Thanks for the great exterior photo! I really appreciate it. The sign in front of the building is titled, "New Old South Church." Here is an interesting website with more photos - New Old South Church (Boston, 1875) | Structurae

 

[WirSindBettler]

Thanks for the great exterior photo! I really appreciate it. The sign in front of the building is titled, "New Old South Church." Here is an interesting website with more photos - New Old South Church (Boston, 1875) | Structurae

And here's the official church website: http://www.oldsouth.org