The Theology of Church Archtitecture - a lecture by Denis McNamara

Thanks to Jordan Hainsey for sending me the link through to the following recording. It is a recent talk from Denis McNamara entiled "Shadow, Image and Reality: Church Architecture as Sacrament of Heaven" was a basic the theology of church art and architecture, going right back to the roots in the Jewish liturgy. This should be circulated widely, I suggest as an excellent introduction to the subject. He was speaking at St Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Many NLM readers will be aware of him through his books and articles and his connection with Mudelein. It is heartening that a lecture by someone who promotes the tradition so strongly was attended by over 300 people (even if some had to be there for credit judging from the beginning of the lecture) At least that means that their professors felt it was important, which is even better! He is very natural and engaging speaker who knows how to make his subject come alive.

 Denis is an architectural historian specializing in the theology of liturgical art and architecture, classicism, and sacramental aesthetics and is the author of several books, including Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy (2009), and How to Read Churches: A Crash Course in Ecclesiastical Architecture (2011), as well as multiple articles and reviews. 


Video Here