Seeking the Sacred in Contemporary Religious Architecture

"A sacred journey requires a guide, and Douglas Hoffman demonstrates the wisdom, experience, and heart of a trusted architectural leader. Focusing on four contemporary American religious buildings, Hoffman invites architects, clergy, and laity to discover what makes a building a sacred place. He shows how diverse faith groups, using architectural markers, can make ordinary space into sacred space." The Reverend W. Joseph Mann Director, Rural Church, The Duke Endowment

"Mythology. Architecture. Ritual language. Symbol systems. It's all here plus vivid examples and acute insights. Doug Hoffman has written a most useful unbiased resource on the meaning of sacred space in the twenty-first century and what it takes to create such specialized environments. It is a welcomed, fresh interpretation of ancient formularies. Theoreticians will surely take delight in this work, and congregational leaders, architects, and artists will want to read it before finalizing plans." Richard S. Vosko, Ph.D., Hon. AIA, award-winning sacred space planner and author of God's House is our House: Re-Imagining the Environment for Worship

From ancient temples to modern churches, synagogues, and mosques, architects throughout history have invested their creative energies to design sacred spaces. Many cultures devoted considerable resources to their sacred architecture, and sacred spaces are among the most impressive and permanent structures created by humanity.

Author Douglas R. Hoffman explores sacredness in houses of worship and examines the critical question of what architectural elements contribute to make sacred space. His underlying premise is that sacred space, while ephemeral, can be perceived and understood through a careful investigation of its architecture. After laying out the definition and architectural attributes of sacred space, Hoffman examines four contemporary American examples: the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Adath Jeshurun Synagogue in Minnetonka, Minnesota, the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City, and River bend Chruch in Austin, Texas.

Illustrated with dozens of color photographs, Seeking the Sacred in Contemporary Religious Architecture presents the notion of the sacred in a cogent, engaging way that can be understood and appreciated by all, even as it will be valued by religious and architectural historians and scholars.

A collaborative publishing venture between the Kent State University Press and Clevland State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Sacred Landmarks Series includes both works of scholarship and general interest that preserve history and increase understanding of religious sites, structures, and organizations in Northeast Ohio, in the United States, and around the world.

Douglas R. Hoffman, AIA, is the former denominational architect for the United Methodist Church. He manages the Cleveland office of the architectural firm of Weber Murphy Fox and has edited several books and articles on religious art and architecture.
Michael J. Crosbie, an architect, author, journalist, and teacher, is the editor-in-chief of Faith & Form Magazine: The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture.