Post your churches

[Heroique]

I really like that, but put it in the landscapes, where it belongs!

Comment based not on any personal beliefs - there just ain't a church in there...

You're right, you know, in a sense. One might call this a church of natural religion – certainly less plainly visible than, say, a Buddhist temple, Jewish synagogue, gothic cathedral, or Anasazi kiva. But it had a great vogue from the mid-1700's thru mid-1800's – a house of worship, one might say, for both the Deist and Romanticist faithful. Many poets described its architecture (think Wordsworth, etc.) and many painters depicted it (think Frederic Church, etc.). Photographers soon followed, as we all know. Then and now, it might be best to use Emerson's "transparent eyeball" to see this church in every detail, but seeing it is no more an advantage than seeing, say, brick-and-mortar or adobe churches. As this thread testifies, all of them make for great images when the light is good!

[Doug Howk]

There are many locations where one may have a religious experience (usually related to beauty and/or sublime); but they shouldn't all be called churches. To me, a church at its best is a work of art created by man (generic), while at its worst just another storefront in some strip mall. I'm old-fashion in that to me Art is something we create rather than found. We may worship sacred groves, rocks, water, etc.; but they are not churches. Just my 2 cents.

[Ironage]

The meaning of the word church has historically been "gathering" and the pictures here are sacred gathering places. Church doesn't really have anything to do with solitary religious experiences in nature. Both are great stuff, just not church.

[jp]

My perspective is that church is a collective of people who believe/worship/help. (such as described in Matthew or Acts) "Church building" is often just conveniently truncated to church. I do it, everyone does it. A more descriptive title for the thread could be Post your religious architecture. But like defining the word photograph, it's more about how the word is used rather than how it ought to be used.

[bigdog]

"Church building" is often just conveniently truncated to church. I do it, everyone does it. ... it's more about how the word is used rather than how it ought to be used.

I'm sort of amazed that this tread went so long without coming to this. I participated with a few other photographers for about 4 years on a documentary project photographing historic churches in Texas. Hardly anyone was confused by our calling the endeavor the "Texas Church Project". However, we got more than one lecture by (I suppose) well-meaning souls that the church was the people and not the building. Having grown up around evangelicals, I was not surprised, just frustrated. In point of fact, the dictionary says that a "church" is (among other things) "a building used for public Christian worship".

It is, therefore, correct usage. It seems also to have been readily understood in the context of this forum for a number of years ...

[Heroique]

The English word "church" has an entertaining history indeed, cultural and etymological.

Going back to the Greek, Ekklesia...

"Post your Ekklesia!" would make for some unique image posts.

[h2oman]

I didn't mean to cause a big fuss, I was just having a bit of fun with Heroique. Someone post a photo of a physical structure in which a church meets to put this conversation to rest!

[bgh]

I didn't mean to cause a big fuss, I was just having a bit of fun with Heroique. Someone post a photo of a physical structure in which a church meets to put this conversation to rest!

How about a synagogue instead? This is Temple Concord in Syracuse.

4x5, TMY-2, 90mm Fujinon, f32, 3 seconds.

[Regular Rod]

Parish Church of Saint Nicholas - Thorne
November 1982
Kodak Model B with 7 inch Wray Lens
FP4
HC110 (B) 4.5 minutes constant agitation

I'd develop it differently today.

RR

[D-tach]

Parish Church of Saint Nicholas - Thorne
November 1982
Kodak Model B with 7 inch Wray Lens
FP4
HC110 (B) 4.5 minutes constant agitation

I'd develop it differently today.

RR

I like it very much like this, especially the composition