Symbolic-religious architecture
Introduction
Religious architecture deals with the design and construction of sacred worship spaces or prayer spaces, such as churches "Church (building)"), mosques, stupas, synagogues and temples. Many cultures have devoted great resources to their religious architecture, and their places of worship and sacred spaces are among the most impressive and enduring buildings created by humanity. For this reason, the Western discipline of History of Architecture largely follows the history of religious architecture from the most remote times to at least the Baroque period. Sacred geometry, iconography and the use of sophisticated semiotics such as signs, symbols and religious motifs are endemic to religious architecture.
Religious buildings often evolved over periods of several centuries and were the largest buildings in the world, before the existence of modern skyscrapers. While the various styles used in religious architecture sometimes reflect trends in other buildings, these styles also remained distinct from contemporary architecture used in other buildings. With the rise of monotheistic religions, religious buildings increasingly became centers of prayer and meditation.
Spiritual aspects of religious architecture
Sometimes religious architecture is called sacred space. Architect Norman L. Koonce has suggested that the goal of religious architecture is to make "transparent the boundary between matter and mind, flesh and spirit." Commenting on religious architecture, Protestant minister Robert H. Schuller has suggested that "to be psychologically healthy, human beings need to experience their natural environment—the environment for which they were designed, which is the garden." Meanwhile, Richard Kieckhefer suggests that entering a religious building is a metaphor for entering a spiritual relationship. Kieckhefer suggests that sacred space can be analyzed by three factors that affect the spiritual process: the longitudinal space emphasizes the procession and return of sacramental acts, the auditorium space is suggestive of proclamation and response, and the new forms of communal space designed for gathering rely heavily on a minimized scale to achieve an atmosphere of intimacy and participation in prayer.