Example Of Church Research Articles

CHURCHES ON MINING DAMAGE - A CASE STUDY

ABSTRACT: Aim: The research objective is to analyze selected three churches by architect Professor Adam Lisik realized on mining damage. The research conducted on the basis of the creative output of the prominent Polish architect of religious buildings is presented. The research is intended to show how difficult design conditions and locations on mining damage affect the functional and solid form of the churches. Methods: The following research methods were used to conduct the study: in-situ research of the objects in question, literature analysis, analysis of conceptual sketches and design documentation of the objects, interview with the author of the projects. The research of the objects takes the form of an expert assessment by the author of the article. Results: All three examples of churches built on high categories of mining damage show different projection solutions: square, regular hexagon, ellipse. The shapes used make it possible to obtain a compact projection with interesting aesthetics of shaping the interior space. The architect also showed a lot of freedom in shaping the various masses of the buildings. Limitations of the decision of the OUG (District Mining Office) for the architect not only did not constitute an obstacle, but on the contrary inspired the search for new solutions, giving satisfaction to the creator of the sacred temple. Conclusion: The results of the study allow us to conclude that the limitations of high mining damage categories (III and IV) did not limit creative freedom. It can be summarized by saying: large-scale religious buildings can be successfully implemented on mining damage. Much depends on the knowledge, skills, creative workshop and vision of the architect. Originality: Limitations of mining damage can pose creative challenges to architectural and structural designers. By complying with the principles of structural safety, one can break stereotypes and create architecturally interesting masses and spaces and interiors. Constraint can become an inspiration for creating new forms of architectural expression. Keywords: architecture, churches, design, construction, construction, mining damage, symbolism.

Truth and Deceit in Institutions

This article considers why truth-telling is so difficult in institutions, and deceit and paltering are so common. Drawing on recent examples of churches and charities exposed for covering up the truth about abuse, the article explores the institutional barriers to truthfulness and considers how they might be removed.

Sacral Architecture in Poland after 1945 with Particular Reference to the Archdiocese of Częstochowa

The study attempts to analyze the post-war sacral architecture in Poland based on the example of churches built after 1945 in the area of the present archdiocese of Częstochowa. It presents the history of sacral architecture, with particular emphasis on the years 1945–1989. It further discusses issues concerning the style of churches and problems related to structures with very large areas and cubature. Problems related to churches erected as “catechetical centers” and smaller filial churches are also mentioned. The presented issues concerning the chosen archdiocese may constitute a representative example of sacral architecture in Poland.

The semantics of Félix Candela’s thin shell structures: a case study of two churches

Félix Candela’s contribution to modern architecture is internationally acknowledged. Regarded rather as structural art than architecture, his notable thin shell structures combine structural rationality, extraordinary form efficiency, and high aesthetic value. But his radical designs have so far been mainly studied from a constructive point of view. Scholars have focused on the spatial and formal characteristics of the hyperbolic paraboloids, the geometric form Candela worked most intensely with. The aesthetic beauty of these forms has also been considered only in its relation to the function, efficiency, and economy of these structures. In this article, I focus on the semantics of Candela’s structures and the meaning they convey. I use the methodology of semiotic analysis to study selected examples of churches designed by Candela in Mexico. I argue that understanding the inherent logic of the structure and reading the encoded symbolic meaning of the form leads to the intuitive perception of architectural space as a sacred place. The impact of these forms on the subconscious level is especially important in ecclesiastical architecture, which is both a community space for social gatherings and a very special personal space for contemplation and divine experience.

Ян Амос Коменський: зародження екуменічного світогляду

Background: The 17th century was marked by tragic religious conflicts and the Thirty Years’ War. The polarization of the Western Church, begun by ‘The First Reformation’, was deepened during this period by the emergence of new denominations. These factors forced political and church leaders to consider more effective forms of interstate and interchurch relations. In Protestant theology was formed the ideological program of ‘The Second Reformation’, which was associated with social and scientific progress and was to prepare mankind for the Millennial Kingdom. The implementation of this program required overcoming the contradictions between the Protestant churches: therefore, the mainstream of ‘The Second Reformation’ was irenicism, which during the Thirty Years’ War went beyond the narrow confessional boundaries. Purpose: On the example of church and scientific-educational activity of a Czech thinker John Amos Comenius shows the process of search by reformers of the 17th century the ways of religious understanding. The author of the article proves rethinking by John Comenius of irenic projects in favor of the ecumenical model, which would synthesize the ideas of humanism, pacifism and religious tolerance. This model was embodied in his idea of the Universal Christianity as an integral element of social and spiritual harmony of the world. Results: The author of the article confirms the thesis that John Comenius’ ecumenical worldview was based on the spiritual tradition and ecclesiastical paradigm of the Czech Brotherhood, on scientific achievements and socio-ethical utopias of the Early Modern period, as well as on irenic projects of European reformers. Disappointed with the futility of the Colloquium Charitativum (1645), John Comenius proposed a new vision of the Universal Christianity, based on the rejection of the confessional traditions, which could not shake religious faith but instead caused theological controversy. He proposed the Universal Christianity, directed on the mutual respect of believers of different churches and their cooperation. According to John Comenius, such Universal Christianity can become a spiritual platform of religious peace. Key words: John Amos Comenius, Czech Brotherhood, ‘The Second Reformation’, irenicism, ecumenism.

Les églises romanes : un objet typologique

'Romanesque art' is a concept, an instrument forged by Art historians in the 19th century for the formal classification of medieval churches. Nowadays, it has turned into a goal, inducing a set of questions and issues that researchers are currently working on. Based on a critical study of various theories and on examples of churches in Auvergne, this paper is aiming to present the research in medieval Art history as a witness to the crisis of the early 21st century, marked by a whole series of reactionary movements.

Assessment of Post-Earthquake Damage: St. Salvatore Church in Acquapagana, Central Italy

This article proposes a multidisciplinary approach for the assessment of seismic damage from the perspective of conservation and prevention. A comparison of the state of damage has been carried out in a case study, St. Salvatore church in Acquapagana (MC), as an example of church, which underwent two important seismic events in the Central Italy area, the 1997 and the 2016 earthquakes. The comparison of the state of damage passes through the following stages: (a) the territorial seismic overview; (b) the historical description and material analysis; (c) the identification of macro-elements with activated damage mechanisms; (d) the comparison between the two seismic events both from a territorial- and building-scale perspective. This work puts together the archived and the on-site survey data with those elaborated starting from seismogenic information, available from the National Seismological Institute, and it provides a strategy also for other similar conditions. This work is to be considered a contribution to a wider study that could be carried out in the areas hit by the 2016 earthquake. It could also represent a way to collect documentation in the post-earthquake phase, improving the effectiveness of procedures currently applied to the first level of damage assessment.

Post-pastoral? Rethinking religion and the reconstruction of rural space

The emergence of an extensive literature exploring the post-secularism in recent years has revived interest in the role of religion in society. However, such studies are overwhelmingly focussed on the urban experience, while the relationship between rurality and post-secularism remains largely unconsidered. Set against the back-drop of challenges to rural religious organization, such as redundant buildings, merged parishes, and lack of incumbents, this paper examines the endogenous actions of lay-people in sustaining religious services. Examining the examples of Church in Wales and Muslim worshippers in rural Wales, we argue that these actions constitute a ‘post-pastoral’ experience, which although maintaining religious identities, challenge the traditional community leadership roles associated with professional clerics. As a consequence, distinctions between urban and rural experiences of post-secular activities are revealed, suggesting that the potential for the countryside to experience similar involvement of faith-based organizations in benevolent action as the city is limited. This highlights the need for more attention on training and support for lay-people by religious organizations by both academics and policy formulators.

Exploring Reasons for the Resistance to Sustainable Management within Non-Profit Organizations

The numerous empirical and conceptual studies that have been conducted over recent years concerning the social responsibility of enterprises and their contributions towards sustainable development have given very little consideration to non-profit organizations (NPOs). This is surprising, because NPOs are confronted with very similar challenges to profit-orientated enterprises regarding their evolution into sustainable organizations. This paper is a preliminary conceptual study and explores the question of why the corporate social responsibility, or corporate sustainability, of NPOs has to date been both neglected by research establishments and also extensively ignored by the NPOs during their day-to-day practical management. The example of church and pastoral institutions in Germany is used to demonstrate the extent to which they take account of ecological and social aspects in their management systems and processes and, thus, implement sustainable management within their day-to-day practice. The paper concludes with some proposals for further empirical and conceptual research projects, which are designed to analyze developments within NPOs with relation to the integration of sustainability into their management systems and processes.

American, Norwegian, or Lutheran? Main Features of Early Norwegian-American Church Architecture in the Upper Midwest, 1850–1870

1 American, Norwegian, or Lutheran? Main Features of Early Norwegian- American Church Architecture in the Upper Midwest, 1850-1870 by Jens Christian Eldal Norwegian immigrants in the United States were often active Lutherans who brought their faith and traditions of congregational life with them to their new country.1 A great deal has been written about how they organized a mass of congregations and built a multitude of churches across the Midwest. On the other hand, little has been written about precisely how they conceived and built these structures in the new land.2 When it came to creating a physical environment for their services of worship, were these Norwegian congregations determinatively influenced by their inheritance from the old country, or was it the new setting and the traditions associated with it that set the standards for how their new churches were to look? Or were there possibly other circumstances and influences that shaped the development of church architecture? 3 4 Jens Christian Eldal CHURCH OR MEETINGHOUSE? Choice of form and style, whether Norwegian or American, was not likely a consciously defined problem when immigrants built the very first Norwegian-American churches in the middle of the 1840s in Wisconsin. By the time fifteen years had elapsed, however, we can be certain that the theme had been broached. It was the subject of an article written in 1863 by the editor of the journal Kirkelig Maanedstidende, Pastor Jakob Aall Ottesen (1825-1904). Ottesen asserted that Holden Church in Goodhue County, Minnesota, begun in 1861, was the first church erected according to a "proper plan in our old, Norwegian ecclesiastical style."3 The journal also printed a floor plan of the church, intended to serve as a pattern for other Norwegian churches. A sketch of the exterior was also available, but the journal was unable to include it. It was instead made available through the pastors of the Norwegian Synod for a modest price. As a rationale for providing these materials, the journal asserted that the first churches built by the immigrants had not been especially successful in form or proportion. They had been built from an American plan fit for a meetinghouse but not for a church. Even in "carefully built" examples of churches in the American style, pulpit and altar were lacking. In the American structures these objects had been replaced by a central lectern with a table in front of it. The churches in the American style often had two narrow aisles leading up to the altar. In contrast, Norwegian churches typically had a wide central aisle, which was necessary, according to the journal, not merely as a matter of taste, but also for the traditional Norwegian practice of catechization, in which youngsters stood in the aisle for recitation with the pastor. A design calling for a single central aisle was thus based on functional rather than aesthetic considerations. Ottesen conceded that it might be difficult to discuss this subject if church Early Norwegian- American Church Architecture 5 Floor plan of Holden Church, Minnesota, published in 1863 to serve as a model for Norwegian churches in America. Typical of the Eisenach rules were the emphasis on chancel, sacristy, and steeple as distinguishable parts "added" to the main building . From Kirkelig Maanedstidende , 1863. 6 Jens Christian Eldal West Church, Jefferson Prairie, Illinois, 1858. Jakob Aall Ottesen considered the furnishing American: a dominating lectern with a small table in front, and two aisles. Courtesy of Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church. East Church, Jefferson Prairie, Illinois, 1861. Affiliated with the Norwegian Synod, the congregation was more high church compared to the Hauge congregation of the West Church. Still the interiors were almost identical.There may be a difference in the emphasis on a more solid altar in the East Church compared to the table in the West Church. Courtesy of NAHA Archives, Northfield, Minnesota. Early Norwegian-American Church Architecture 7 design were merely a matter of taste. He maintained a church looked better with an altar as focal point at the end of a wide, single aisle with pulpit and baptismal font on each side.This he thought better than the American pattern, where upon entering one viewed the church interior somewhat...

Implicit Religion: A Contemporary Theory for the Relationships between Religion, State, and Society

This article demonstrates that the term ‘implicit religion’ provides an effective way to explore some of the philosophies and ideologies common to church, state, and society and to explain the mutual influence of traditional religion, civil religion, and folk religion in the creation of a national identity. Examples of church–state interactions from three continents are provided and variations in the definition of a national church are discussed. The effect of these variations on cross-cultural studies in religion, state, and society are assessed. The article concludes by examining the potential of the construct of implicit religion for bridging the different historical and cultural understandings of religion.

Collaboration of Churches and Service Providers: Meeting the Needs of Older African Americans

ABSTRACT This article describes a community outreach volunteer project designed to reach frail community-based older adults. The project is an example of church and secular agency collaboration in which the church provides leadership in volunteer recruitment and the agency provides training and outreach activity monitoring. The church's role in this project illustrates that small and medium-size African American churches can play an important role in mobilizing volunteer resources and can perform a linking role in helping secular agencies to gain access to frail, hard-to-reach, low-income older adults.