How to Read a Church: A Guide to Images, Symbols and Meanings in Churches and Cathedrals

by Richard Taylor

Book Overview

' a] gem of a book' Spectator

Churches and cathedrals were originally built to be read. They are alive with images and symbols. But today few people, including regular visitors, truly understand the wealth of meaning in what they find there.

How to Read a Church is a fascinating guide for anybody who wants to know more about what they see in a church or cathedral. It explains the significance of church layout,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844130533
• ISBN13: 9781844130535
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Rider
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.

Customer Reviews

How to read a church

A very useful book for teaching purposes and giving an understanding of many church items

Reading a church

Well written and organized. I learned a lot. Potential buyers should know that the focus of this book is on Anglican and Catholic churches. I'd recommend it very highly.

Interpreting art and architecture

Ever wonder why some saints in paintings and sculpture have square haloes? Why columns have foliate capitals? And what are all those hand signals? Richard Taylor explains in How to Read a Church, written not as a scholastic thesis but as a general guide for lay persons. The basic layout of churches, the number and placement of stained glass windows, the grouping of figures and how to identify who's who - all of this can be helpful in figuring out what the builders and decorative artists were trying to convey to those viewing and appreciating the results of their labors. The book works as a resource, and does not have to be read from cover to cover. Individual chapters, such as that on styles of crosses, can be read separately and perused at leisure. Nice resource.

Terrific resource

Taylor's book is a terrific resource explaining a much misunderstood subject. Churches are indeed designed to be 'read'; to be, in the words of another reviewer, "a feast for the senses." Taylor explains that classical church architecture reflects the understanding that a church is a ship (the word 'nave,' referring to the interior of a church, is from the Latin 'navis' for ship) sailing the faithful to a New Jerusalem, led by their 'captain' priest. Rich eucharistic symbols like the pelican, a bird which feeds its young with its blood, are explained in detail. Were more people to absorb the lessons of this book, we perhaps would see an end to the artless, crude church designs that have dominated over the past 40 years.

Point of Clarification

I've not yet finished the book, but early on Mr. Taylor mentions that the "Catholic Church 'banned' the Latin Mass in order to increase participation by the laity. Whatever the high points of this book may be, the Church never "banned" the Latin Mass. In fact, the Second Vatican Council, which ALLOWED for some parts of the mass to be translated into the vernacular, also encouraged local parishes to catechize (educate) their members in the basic Latin prayers of the Mass so they could participate. It appears that it was easier to translate the mass into dozens of different languages than it was to get Catholics to learn a few phrases and prayers in Latin. At any rate, the Latin Mass is still celebrated with great enthusiasm and beauty in parishes all over the world (unfortunately some of them are schismatic, but many are in communion with Rome). As for the vernacular mass, "full and active participation" is a rarity in most parishes. Pope Benedict has reiterated this call for Catholics to learn some of the basic prayers in Latin so that in this truly global society we may pray together with one voice. Back to the book - Mr. Taylor's premise is dead on; Churches were meant to be read - to create a feast for the senses and create an atmosphere of awe and sanctity. i look forward to finishing the text, and perhaps using it as a textbook for a class.