Features of Church Buildings (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

Main features of the church building

Sanctuary

• Catholic churches and some Anglican churches are traditionally built in the shape of a cross, with the top of the cross facing towards the holy city of Jerusalem

• The part of the building at the top of the cross is called the sanctuary

• It is considered the holiest part of the church.

• It contains many important church features, including the altar

• The sanctuary is sometimes separated from the nave by a rail

Altar

• This is a table, usually at the front of the church, within the sanctuary

• The altar is the focal point for services in many Christian churches, particularly Catholic churches

• The altar is where the bread and wine are blessed by the priest during the Eucharist

• For this reason, some denominations refer to it as a Holy Table or Communion Table

• The altar is covered with a cloth, and a different coloured cloth is used in every church season 

• Often, the altar is dressed with candles and a cross

Lectern

• The lectern is a stand that the Bible is placed on to be read from in services

• In some churches, the lectern is in the shape of an eagle to represent God’s word flying out across the world 

  • The eagle is also the symbol for John, the author of one of the four gospels

• The lectern is found in the sanctuary, near the altar

  • It is always in a prominent place where everyone can see and hear the word of God

Pulpit

• The pulpit is an elevated platform where the minister or priest will stand to give a sermon

• It is also found within the sanctuary

Baptistery and font

• The font is a stone basin used to baptise babies using holy consecrated water

• It is often placed at the door of a church, symbolising baptism as an event in which a Christian is welcomed into God’s family, the Church

• Some Christian denominations, such as the Baptist Church, will contain a baptistery instead of a font

  • This is because they practise believers’ baptism, where people are baptised as adults when they are old enough to commit to Christianity themselves 

  • A baptistery is a pool or tank of water where baptism can be conducted through a process called total immersion

    • This means the person being baptised will walk down into the pool and be fully submerged in the water 

IMAGE REQUIRED

Main features of a church building

Representations in church

Statues, images and decorations

• Many Christian churches, especially Catholic and Anglican churches, contain a range of representations of religious figures or events

• These include:

  • Statues of religious figures, especially Jesus, Mary or saints

  • Stained glass windows that depict key events in the Bible or the lives of the saints

    • These may represent the saint or event that the individual church is named after

  • Paintings, carvings or tapestries of religious figures

• These paintings, carvings or statues serve several purposes:

  • They give a focal point for prayer, helping the person to concentrate

  • They educate people about the person or event depicted

  • They represent religious figures or saints who can serve as a role model for living in holiness and faithfulness to God

IMAGE REQUIRED

The 23-metre hand-woven “Christ in Glory” tapestry in Coventry Cathedral shows the risen Christ

IMAGE REQUIRED

Christ in Glory tapestry by Graham Sutherland in Coventry Cathedral by DeFacto is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Stations of the Cross

• The Stations of the Cross are found in Catholic churches 

• They consist of a series of 14 images showing the events that happened to Jesus on the day of his crucifixion 

• These images are displayed on the walls of the church or chapel 

• They remind Catholics of the suffering Jesus was willing to undertake in being crucified and dying to save them from their sins

• During Lent, especially on Good Friday of Holy Week, Catholics hold a service where they walk between each of the images, pausing at each one to hear a short reading, say prayers and reflect on the events shown

Candles

• Candles are a common feature of Christian churches

• They help to provide a focus for worship and prayer, both during services and in private prayer

• Candles are used especially at baptisms, and special candles are used during festivals such as Christmas and Easter

• Some Christians light a candle when they say a private prayer, showing their devotion to God and their faith that their prayer will be heard

• Candles represent joy, faith and hope even in the darkest of times

• The light from the candles represents God’s light guiding Christians through their lives

• They are used because Jesus said that he was the light of the world

Differing Christian views on the church features

• Christians have different opinions on the importance of the main church features

• Some Christians would argue that the church building itself is very important because it is the house of God 

  • Therefore, the building should represent the highest quality of design as a sign of respect and devotion to God

  • The features inside should be decorated as a sign of reverence and respect for God

• Many Catholic and Orthodox churches are highly decorated

• Like Catholic churches, Anglican churches are often in the shape of a cross, and although they contain the same features — sanctuary, altar, pulpit, lectern and font — they are often plainer than Catholic churches, with fewer statues and candles

  • An Anglican church will usually have a simple cross displayed rather than a crucifix

• Many non-conformist Christian churches are much plainer and contain fewer features than Catholic and Anglican churches

  • The main feature is usually the pulpit or lectern, which reflects the greater importance placed on the Bible as the main feature of church services

• Non-conformist Christians believe that God is present in all places

  • His presence in church should not be regarded as special or different from His presence in someone’s house 

  • Therefore, it is not important for the building or the furnishings to be of expensive materials or highly decorated, as this may actually distract people from worship and listening to God’s words

• Most Christians would agree that the church is primarily the Christian people rather than a building 

  • However, the church building is important because worship would be more difficult without it, and it is a place where the community can gather and worship together