Walls Of Church Research Articles

Rockets, Astronauts, and Shrines: Representations of Spaceflight in Sacred Visual Art and Architecture

This article examines the relationship between space exploration and sacred visual art, demonstrating that religious iconography and church architecture evolved by assimilating humankind's entry into the physical heavens as a living parable. This is proven by the presence of space exploration imagery within places of worship—from a church building inspired by a payload fairing to inclusion of space exploration milestones as historical landmarks, from astronauts being chosen as depictions of Christian virtues to lunar material being included in church windows, and from a space shuttle being painted on a Christian Orthodox church wall to a space hotel being represented on a Buddhist temple. The incidences of space themes in religious visual arts, as well as the fervor of reception, vary nonetheless among denominations.

The Devil in Fred Stonehouse: The Aesthetics of Evil After Evil

The devil is not what he used to be. The mythic villain of the Christian tradition has become cartoon version of his former terrifying self. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the visual arts. Fearsome images of the devil and his minions once adorned church walls, altars, and holy books. He was the very real incarnation of and his image was lesson in the wages of sin. Today, however, when words like sin and evil have lost their theological if not cultural resonance, the arts have all but abandoned sincere representations of the devil, trading instead on his image as logo or slur. To image the devil after is to reimagine the very idea of evil. The artist Fred Stonehouse has accomplished precisely this.In the year 447 the Council of Toledo set out the first official description of the devil. At the council the devil was described as a large, black, monstrous apparition with horns on his head, cloven hoofs, or one cloven hoof-ass's ears, hair, claws, fiery eyes, terrible teeth, an immense phallus, and sulphurous smell (Hughes 104). Since then the devil has morphed into caricature of this fierce beast of Christian mythology. More recently the devil has made appearances as the logo for Underwood Deviled Ham and as regular character on South Park. The reason the devil has ceased to function in the cultural imaginary as the personification of is because itself has become something of superstitious relic. As Peter Stanford observes in his book, The Devil: A Biography, Greater knowledge, less dependency on the idea of figure of evil, and more on the nega- five within each individual has brought more precise delineation of the unknown, the darkness, the shadow (284). Like darkness brought to light, has lost its frightful mystery.The notion that is the willful product of an external cosmic agent bent on the pain, suffering, and misery of humanity has foundered as viable theory of evil. Consequently, the devil too has lost much of his historical, theological, and cultural cache. Robert Muchembled argues that [n]ot only has [the devil] ceased to exist as terrifying external figure, he no longer even provokes fear of the self, dread of the inner demon... (228). Two centuries of the demystification of have enfeebled the once mighty icon of incarnate malevolence.If for nearly two millennia the image of the devil was the didactic embodiment of evil, what then does the devil look like after evil? This article addresses that question by turning to the work of contemporary artist Fred Stonehouse, who has been painting the devil for over three decades with an uncanny awareness of, and artistic reflection on, the tradition of representing the devil in the arts.The following is composed of three sections. The first two form an argument regarding the place of the devil-as-villain in modem art, focusing briefly on the art historical trajectory of the image of the devil before attending to the work of contemporary artist Fred Stonehouse. The third section then turns to Stonehouse himself offering an in depth interview with the artist about his work, his practice, and the place of the devil in his painting.Section one presents the devil as the cosmic archetype for the nemesis-style villain. Here, I attend to how the devil has historically been imaged in the arts and, in anticipation of the work of Fred Stonehouse, the precarious place of that image in contemporary culture where the devil has become more cliche than cosmic villain. Section two turns to the artistry of Fred Stonehouse in consideration of the figure of the devil in modem art. In this section I propose that Stonehouse offers rare, sincere figuration of the devil after by transforming him from villain into an icon of vulnerability. Section three is an interview with Stonehouse exploring the evolution of his art practice, the origins of his fascination with the devil, and how he understands this devious character in his work. …

Historical and archaeological analysis of the Church of the Nativity

The team has considered the special status of the Basilica of Bethlehem, which is not just a monument of outstanding historic and artistic importance, but also and fundamentally a holy place, that has long been and is still perceived as a memorial site, marking the place of Christ's birth and transcribing into a sacred topography the main events of the Gospel narratives. Because of such a peculiarity, the team considered that it was indispensable to analyze the Basilica of Bethlehem from different viewpoints, namely those of archaeological and historical research. The historical approach aims at understanding the centuries-old development of the holy site as a ritual space and the materialized expression of holiness, the ways in which it has been perceived and used, and the messages that it was meant to convey to its beholders. It combines the findings of previous archaeological research with the data provided by the analysis of written evidence, including old textual sources about the Basilica (especially chronicles and pilgrims’accounts). For the archaeological study of the Basilica of the Nativity, we used the methodology of its investigation of the Archeology of Architecture. Stratigraphical analysis was carried out in relation to various portions of the church walls, as well as in relation to the buildings that make up the whole complex, in order to understand the dynamics of major changes in the structure in its entirety. Direct analysis of evidence from the walls was supported by the reading of existing literature and historical maps with particular reference to the plans of the church. These tools of investigation have been applied to the analysis of the church in its entirety, including its underground cavities.

베이비 박스의 도덕성 논쟁

There was dispute on ‘baby box’ in the second half of 2011. In 2009, clergyman, Lee Jong-rak made a baby box on church wall. Actually, 26 new born babies were abandoned in the ‘baby box’. The babies who had disability were thrown out from the unmarried mothers with letters. If there was no baby box,the babies could die by hypothermia in the cold weather. But Ministry of health and welfare, and Gwanak Ward Office are requesting to remove baby box because it is illegal for non-authorized facility to look after baby. Baby box was installed to prevent from abandonment of baby in cold weather and risk. But it is on dispute between ‘protection of infant’ and ‘encouragement of abandonment’. Like dispute surrounding abortion or contraception, baby box is a complicated problem and it is not easy to conclude. It is a difficult subject that anybody cannot judge awkwardly. This is because the subject is related to human life. This thesis tried to evaluate this problem from ethical view. First, contradictory views are reviewed - the views are if baby box is for encouragement of abandonment, or if it is for protection of infant. Second, this problem is investigated from positions of Deontology and Teleology which are representative views of ethics. And this paper applies principles of modern medical ethics from the dispute to evaluate the problem. Finally, this subject is treated with from positions of personal ethic and social ethic.

Significance of studying the petrography and mineralogy of the geological environment of old rupestrian churches to prevent their deterioration. A case study from the South Carpathians

Abstract This paper provides new insights into understanding the causes of deterioration of the Corbii de Piatra rupestrian church and shows the significance of studying the geological environment of historical rock-cut settlements when undertaking preservation and restoration actions. The Corbii de Piatra church is one of the few rupestrian churches remaining in Romania and is an important part of the country's heritage. The church is carved in a stratum of polymictic sandstone of Oligocene age, which is part of the Getic Depression, located in the southern part of the South Carpathians. In the 14th century the interior walls of the church were decorated with mural paintings of a high artistic value. Over the centuries, the church's walls and mural paintings have been negatively affected by a series of physicochemical processes. These processes were studied through field investigations and laboratory analyses carried out between October 2007 and November 2010. The investigations revealed that tectonic fissuring and the structural anisotropy of the rock facilitate the infiltration of meteoric water through the walls into the interior of the church, from north to south, maintaining a high-level of humidity in the northern wall and in the interior of the church. The most harmful effects observed were: (i) the partial hydrolysis of the feldspars through reaction with water from the pores, producing a friable mass of phyllosilicates which led to a superficial disaggregation of the rock and to a diminished cohesion between the rock and the mortar of the fresco, (ii) the reprecipitation of the gypsum as efflorescences on the northern wall and ceiling, covering the mural painting in localized areas, as a result of the transportation of the gypsum by water from the upper strata, (iii) the alteration of the cinnabar pigment, as a result of water penetration by diffusion through the fresco from the wet rock to the pictorial layer (the secondary effect observed being the formation of sulfuric acid, which further reacted with the carbonate from the fresco to form gypsum), (iv) the development of biotic crusts, predominately algal, on the interior wet walls, which, facilitated by the permanent high humidity and the semi-obscurity of the interior of the church, have covered large surfaces of the fresco. Compared to the interior, the exterior vertical walls have been exposed to prolonged daily and seasonal variations of temperature and humidity. These variations have caused repeated variations in the volume of the sandstone, leading to contraction fissuring and peeling of the vertical walls. Any future procedures that might be used to conserve the church should strive to reduce the humidity of the sandstone in the interior walls.

The Once and Future "Pulpit": Hearing Gerhard Ebeling Again

The hermeneutical theology of Gerhard Ebeling has been tremendously influential upon New Homiletic preaching. This influence has been rightly critiqued. Ebeling’s theology, when pushed too far, invites pastors to overconfident and irresponsible uses of language and reinforces a hierarchical gap between preacher and hearer. Nevertheless, Ebeling’s encouragement to vigorously engage secular life with a public homiletic is a crucial aspect of his thought. This aspect was present in some early writings of the New Homiletic, but has been largely ignored by subsequent practitioners. Developing a more public homiletic prevents proclamation from becoming ingrown and calls preachers to a greater linguistic engagement beyond church walls.

Las voces del Románico: Arte y epigrafía en San Quirce de Burgos (review)

Reviewed by: Las voces del Románico: Arte y epigrafía en San Quirce de Burgos Elizabeth Moore Willingham Daniel Rico Camps. Las voces del Románico: Arte y epigrafía en San Quirce de Burgos. Murcia: Nausícaä, 2008. Kindle 2010. 126 pp. ISBN: 978-84-96633-60-5 Daniel Rico Camps, in his second book for Nausícaä addressing Spain’s Romanesque church art, provides a creative, discursive, and passionate perspective on an intriguing and provocative set of twelfth-century stone carvings from the west door gable of the Church of San Quirce de los Ausines in Burgos (fig. 1). The author detects a telling coherence in the gable’s two-layered iconographic and epigraphic programs and asserts that the juxtapositions of sacred and obscene images and of Latin and vernacular epigraphy resonate with a plethora of sources in medieval thought and art to create diverse “audiovisual” effects. Rico Camps organizes his book into a foreword and three chapters and follows the text with a set of black-and-white photographs keyed to his art historical references. In his Prologue, Rico Camps affirms that his aim is to contextualize the figures and wording over the west entry, not only within their contemporary local culture, but as a part of the broader “sistema de referencias y supuestos intelectuales que lo hizo posible”, including those that extend beyond the intentions of the “mentor” (the designer or architect of the carvings) and the stonecutter (12). [End Page 370] The system and suppositions to which Rico Camps refers as informing the stonework are contained in a “global idea”: a written, oral, and visual tradition that is a part of “the medieval ‘stream’” (12). As an expression of this “stream”, then, the “dominant world view of the twelfth century” is realized “intuitively” in San Quirce’s west gable program, though its workmen, like its unlettered viewers, remained ignorant of the texts that shaped the art (12). Indeed, the viewer will “hear” what was not in the “voices” of those who conceived and executed the work. Rico Camps, following Justo Pérez de Urbel and Walter Muir Whitehill, for example, uses the term metopa [metope] from the Doric order to designate the visually important spaces of the gable’s ten quasi-square, bas-relief carved tablets. The tablets are fitted between stone supports (modillones) in the position of what would be the grooved triglifos of the Doric system. The modillones are also known as (Romanesque) canecillos, mensulas cortas, or canes; the latter two terms are generally translated as “corbels”. The face of each corbel bears a figure or pair of figures from Genesis, also carved in relief and responding in some way to the decoration of the metopes. The eleven corbels, their lower edges set flush with the wall, support the beams of a narrow, tiled tejaroz [overhang, awning] meant to divert rainwater from an otherwise direct path down the church wall toward the recessed doorway, thereby combining architectural functionality with moral theology. Rico Camps tends to affirm throughout his commentary the program’s “sentido general”, pronounced decades ago by Joaquín Yarza, whom Rico Camps paraphrases: “un lenguaje de formas de una increíble grosería se dice que este mundo, a partir de Adán y Eva, es una basura” (8). This view rests primarily on three “vulgar” images on the metopes: one suggests sexual intercourse, and two show a male figure defecating beside the words “mala cago” in the first instance and “Io caco” in the second. In regard to the placement of subjects and inscriptions, the author contends that the “primer plano” of the eleven corbels displays “una realidad sagrada y superior” based on the Bible and labeled in Latin, the “lingua caelestis” (8), while “los bajos fondos de la cornisa” –the metopes– depict “una realidad carnal e inferior” glossed in the “language of the world” (9); the linguistic and graphic paradoxes come close to merging, he notes, in the neighboring images of Cain’s and Abel’s sacrifices. In chapter 1, Rico Camps provides his foundational interpretations of each of the images and the text, pointing out that the exterior images over the west entrance [End Page 371] introduce...

HYLOGRAPHIA (De Administrando Imperio, 29/280)

The church of St. Anastasia in Zadar is said to be entirely covered in ancient hylographia in Porphyrogenitus’ De administrando imperio. It is not entirely clear which technique is being used here, nor which portion of the church is being referred to. For this reason past views on the subject are examined, as well as original information. Finally, precedence is given to the encaustic technique, with which the walls of churches would be decorated, and perhaps even their ceilings; a broader meaning of the word is not eliminated, which would include painting techniques different from mosaic. The question of the meaning of the term archaios is discussed as well, which, by analogy with its other uses in the text, means ‘old’, and not ‘old-fashioned’.

Transforming Space, (Per)forming Community: Church Consecration in Carolingian Europe

Scholarly work on the Carolingian ecclesia, especially in relation to church consecration liturgies, has focused largely on ecclesia's spiritual and communal meanings rather than its architectural one. This article turns attention to the physical building in order to understand how the dedication ritual transformed the structure into a sacred space. A close reading of early medieval consecration ordines reveals their principal emphasis on church architecture, while further analysis of liturgical texts demonstrates how the prominence given to the physical and spatial allowed for the creation of the universal community of the faithful (that is, the spiritual ecclesia) within the church's walls. Lay presence is then considered to determine the nature of the laity's role in the rite. Ultimately, in reexamining the interplay between space and community, the article highlights the importance of placing the church building at the center of future considerations of the Carolingian polity.

Le cycle de la vie de saint Benoît dans le cloître de l’abbaye de San Nazzaro Sesia

A very important but little known cycle of frescoes of the Life of Saint Benedict decorates the cloister of the Piedmontois monastery of Santi Nazario e Celso, in the lower valley of the Sesia. Dating from the second half of the fifteenth century, toward 1465, and of disputed attribution, this vast ensemble was restored in 2006 and is only partially preserved. The cycle begins in the first arcade of the cloister, back to back with the atrium, and develops along the wall of the abbey church. Only the paintings in the north wing, which are the subject of this study, are well preserved. Vestiges of painting on two registers that subsist in the three other wings of the cloister attest the unusual breadth of the cycle, which originally numbered one hundred scenes. The composition astutely marries the architecture of the edifice, exhibiting a regional know-how and a profound sense of scenographic innovation. The cycle constitutes a formidable observatory for studying the role and function of artistic creation in a Benedictine monastery at the end of the Middle Ages, while pointing up the rapport between architecture and monumental decoration in the Quattrocento.

The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation: Towards an Ecumenical Theology of Just Peace?

The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation: Towards an Ecumenical Theology of Just Peace?

Prilog Trogirskoj klesarskoj radionici

The author attributes the chancel screen gable from the Trogir Town Museum, discovered in the pavement of the vestibule of the destroyed pre-Romanesque hexaconchal church of St Mary at Trogir to the Trogir stonecarvers’ workshop. The arguments for such an attribution are found in the visual and stylistic analysis of the gable and in the analogies with other similar fragments of pre-Romanesque reliefs which have already been attributed to the same workshop. This demonstrates a similar concept in the layout on the gables from Trogir and Bijaći, while more obvious stylistic parallels for the Trogir gable are found on the chancel screen arches and architraves from Pađene, Brnaze, Malo polje of Trogir and Otres, but also those from Krković and Ostrovica. In addition, two fragmented reliefs which have been inserted as spolia in east wall of the parish church of St George at Pađene near Knin are also attributed to the same workshop. These fragments have been measured and photographed in more detail for the first time for this paper. The analysis of their decoration has resulted in the conclusion that these fragments belonged to a widely distributed type of chancel screen pilasters, with a somewhat more complex decoration consisting of a dense interlaced mesh of three-strand bands. Finally, the gable from the Trogir Town Museum, and other stylistically similar relief from Trogir, have been brought into a stronger connection with the church of St Mary, and its original liturgical furnishings in particular. Following from such a conclusion, as well as the fact that the same workshop produced liturgical installations in another hexaconchal church at Brnaze near Sinj, the author dates both structures to the period when the workshop was active (the first quarter of the ninth century), and places the construction of almost all Dalmatian hexaconchs in a relatively short time frame from the end of the eighth century to mid-ninth century.

Archaeological Data Concerning the History of the Evangelical Church in Dealu Frumos, Sibiu County

Most historians agree that the original planimetry of the church in Dealu Frumos consisted of a hall church with nave and two aisles, a square choir, a semicircular apse and a western tower. All these were built during the 13th century, before the Tartar Invasion. During the 14th and 15th centuries (but continued during the 16th century as well) the church undergoes major modifications that would fortify it against attacks : the western side of the aisles were dismantled in order to free the western tower, heightened and enhanced from all points of view ; the eastern side of the church was dismantled as well, here being built a second defensive tower, over the square choir. The church fortification was completed by surrounding it with an approximately elliptic curtain wall with three towers. A second enclosure on the eastern half of the ensemble and an impressive moat were also built in order to fortify the church. All these elements are meant to confer a maximum resistance to any types of attacks. The archaeological research in 2009 had three main goals : solving the problem of the existence of a semicircular apse on the eastern side of the church, which was discovered in trench 3. Trench 2 was established on the eastern wall of the western tower in order to identify the area where the original 13th century portal might have been and possible recovery of some parts of it laying underground, as well as establishing the existence of a threshold that could point to the original walking level. Traces of a semicircular portal on the elevation of the eastern wall are still visible today, but under the current walking level we have unveiled a uniform masonry, in which we could distinguish neither the northern mullion of the portal, as expected, nor the trace of any threshold. The excavation revealed a regular stone structure bound with mortar. Taking into account the different construction manner as in the naves, the logical hypothesis is that the western church wall was reconstructed at the same time when the western tower was being built. Another major goal of our research was successfully achieved : the discovery of the remains of the western aisle, dismantled at the moment of fortification. Studying the general stratigraphy revealed by the excavations we have to take into consideration the fact that the terrain was at a certain point levelled down (possibly to better protect the inner enclosure). This hypothesis is also supported by the diminished number of graves discovered here (a lot less than at other similar monuments) as well as the discovery of the improvised ossuary in the former lime pit. We have discovered a total of 19 graves, none of them providing datable material. Further research is needed in order to clarify some important aspects of the monument : the original entry into the church, complete unveiling of the remains of the semicircular apse and of the aisles, as well as establishing other stratigraphy data that would help set the evolution of the walking level during the different historic periods of the Evangelical church in Dealu Frumos.

Saint Virgin Mary Parish Church in Kraśnik – new research results after I phase of studies 2008-2009

The town of Kraśnik is one of the oldest of its kind in the Lublin region – archaeological researches confirmed that that in the XIII century in the same place existed a settlement with castle and a church. Municipal rights were granted to Krasnik in 1377, when town was ruled by Gorajski family. A brick church was founded by Teczynski family around 1448. Today this is reflected by the chancel build around the altar from Gothic bricks, to which in the next phases vestry and treasury has been constructed. In 1461 a n Canons Regular of the Lateran Order has been brought to Krasnik from Cracow. The Order extended the original structure and built a monastery. From stone blocks they erected main nave and church aisles and Gothic church was incorporated in the new form. Consecutive rebuilding continued in 1st half of XVI century (raising of church walls, new arches, Renaissance decorations, polychrome wall paintings, memorial chapels). After damages to the church caused by the wars with Sweden, it became a property of Zamoyski family, who rebuilt it in the Baroque style (new elevation copings, building of new chapel in which the foundation date remained – 1657). In the year of 1864 after the cessation of the Order, church has been taken under the control of Russian government. Damaged by fires it required renovations (front elevations, roof). In 1911 the last phase of modifications was recorded – extension to the clock tower. Church in Krasnik with its 600 years of history always attracted attention from architectural researchers and scientists. In 2007 renovation of front elevation commenced. Initial works on removing plaster revealed perfectly preserved stone blocks and details from the earliest phases of the construction (fragments of a Gothic arch, stone window framings, front walls). Conservatory and archaeological researches inside the church on the foundation, roof and elevation levels uncovered new architectural elements and therefore allowed to understand in more complete way the construction phases of the church. As the results of the research, a decision has been made to restore the Gothic form of the church (rarely found in Lublin region) and to expose the oldest brick front, stone contour with beautiful stepped facade, portal, high windows and architectural details from the II phase of construction. Research to reveal more about the history of church, monastery and the town itself continues along with reconstruction works.

DIFFERENT ATTITUDES OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY IN COPTIC ART

In this paper, my focus will be on the different attitudes ofthe Holy Virgin Mary which appear in the decoration of severalCoptic artistic collections conserved and displayed now in theCoptic Museum in Cairo and in the other internationalarcheological museums abroad. This study deals also with some ofthe Mariological scenes decorating the interior walls of manyCoptic monasteries and churches in Old Cairo, Wadi Natrun, Sohagand the Red Sea. Moreover, the present study will describe andanalyze some precious examples of Coptic stone work, woodwork,metal objects, ivory panels, manuscripts, icons and wall paintings inorder to know more details about the various depictions of the HolyVirgin Mary and her figures in Coptic art.

Bothroi in the Sacred Sanctuary of Demeter at Caunus

At Caunos, in the sacred precinct of Demeter, a great number of deposits have been found during the earlier and ongoing excavations. These deposits have been found in two different locations; one being on the sacred terrace and the other one outside the sacred precinct. While one of the deposits outside the sacred precinct excavated to the north of terrace in the early 1970's was built in the shape of a small and deep structure with roughly shaped stones, the deposit to the west and adjacent to the terrace was completely formed by stuffing the rock cavities, without any type of architectural arrangement. Likewise, on the terrace of church and in the area the earliest church of Kaunos is situated, different deposits were found. Among these, two are smaller in size and adjacent to the wall of church. While one of them is sloppily formed in the shape of a grave by roughly cutting the cavities in the rocky area, the other one is formed cutting the upper part of the bedrock in an approximately square shape. However the foundation of the church was completely formed by filling the cavities of the bedrock. It still hasn't been determined where and how these finds were deposited in these areas. But as far as it's known, these areas were used from Late Archaic Period to the midst of the Early Hellenistic Period. lnterestingly, these finds were uncovered in a mixed manner. For example a larger size terracotta head which is, so far, one of the rare archaic finds, has been found immediately in the upper section. In the same way, the finds which are dated to the Early Hellenistic Period can be unearthed in the lower sections. As a result, it is hard to determine the date and the pattern of these deposits. While the finds which are dated back to the Archaic Period and to the Early Hellenistic Period are few, especially the finds from the Late Classic Period, and finds from the 4th century B.C. are more common. The finds from the Middle and the Late Hellenistic Periods and the Roman Period have not been recovered yet. Likewise the finds which can be dated back to Byzantine Period consist of only a few and small glazed sherds. It is concluded that this area occupied by the earliest church of Kaunos was never used during the Christian Era and the construction of the church itself was never finished. However, this area must have remained as a sacred precinct in varying densities of use from the archaic period to the mid-Christian Era.

Kvaderstenskirker mellem Viborg og Randers – Et bygningsarkæologisk studie

The medieval churches of Sønderlyng and Middelsom districtsIn 12th century Jutland, a tradition developed of building churches of granite ashlars. In the northern part of the peninsula, the main inspiration for this came from the cathedral in Viborg, construction of which began just prior to AD 1150 and continued until completion during the first decades of the 13th century. In this article, the author attempts to identify similarities and differences in this building method by way of a buildings archaeological survey of 29 churches within a restricted geographical area comprising Sønderlyng and Middelsom districts, which are located just east of Viborg (fig. 1). An assessment has also been undertaken of the originality of the individual standing monuments. This is also based on the above-mentioned observations, together with information from the relevant archives. The methods applied have been developed with the aim of describing and comparing the basic features of Romanesque ashlar churches, such as their ground plans, plinths, dimensions, course heights, windows and portals (figs. 2-7, 9, 15). The most recent account of a group of Romanesque ashlar churches from 1942 deals with the churches in Thisted county and has, to some extent, been compared with the results of the present study.These results show that considerable parts of the masonry have been re-laid as a consequence of the extensive repairs and restoration work carried out across the country during the late 19th century. These were executed mainly on south-facing walls, leaving the majority of the original church wall sections to be found on their northern sides. The results also demonstrate that certain norms and regulations prevailed in early church building within the study area. The ground plans were laid out according to certain proportional principles, and the heights of the ashlar courses heights decreased upwards. A church with an apse would be provided with richer decoration in the form of, for example, profiled plinths and cornices and columned portals of various types. One of these types, with six free-standing columns, a particular elaborate architectonic characteristic of the area, is found only on apsed churches. Conversely, apses which were added subsequently can be identified partly through their plainer decorative expression and, in a few instances, by their divergent ground plan.The artistic details of Romanesque church building in the area show great variation, and it is argued that the finer stonework, such as the Ørum portal (fig. 16), could have been produced in central workshops in the market towns. Furthermore, based on the work of Elna Møller and Jens Vellev, it is pointed out that the original apsed churches and six free-standing columned portals date from the last quarter of the 12th century. However, the distinct portal in Vorning (fig. 14) is probably slightly older.When compared, a certain pairing tendency can be observed in some of the churches, for example those in Ålum and Tånum. This provides a hint concerning the organisation of early ashlar church building. Compared to the much larger group of ashlar churches in Thisted County, the ground plans of the churches in these two districts are slightly wider, and they are more elaborate architectonically, at least with respect to the portals. Several distinct regional features are thereby recognisable, but it is apparent that there was also a certain degree of cultural exchange between the various parts of Jutland.Anders Christian ChristensenHorsens Museum

Lecanora antiqua, a new saxicolous species from Great Britain, and the nomenclature and authorship of L. albescens, L. conferta and L. muralis

AbstractLecanora albescens (Hoffm.) Branth & Rostr. is the correct authorship of this species, and the combination cannot be attributed to Flörke. Lecanora antiqua J. R. Laundon is described for the lichen previously, but wrongly, known in Britain as L. conferta; it is remarkable in occupying the interface between acid and calcareous surfaces on the vertical walls of medieval churches. The nomenclature of the lobed Lecanora, which has had two alternative Latin names since the early 19th century, namely L. muralis Rabenh. and L. saxicola (Pollich) Ach., has been studied and the latter was found to be correct.

Old church walls – objects of palaeontological conservation?

Old church walls – objects of palaeontological conservation?

Faith Tweets: Ambient Religious Communication and Microblogging Rituals

Faith Tweets: Ambient Religious Communication and Microblogging Rituals