Faith & Form
the interfaith forum on religion, art and architecture
“Faith & Form remains one of the singular professional publications dedicated solely to discussions of liturgical architecture and art in the United States.
In an age of ubiquitous digital media, nebulous opinion, and piecemeal conversations, Faith & Form provides a needed and rare hard-copy and editorially-driven presentation. Indeed, this guidance that professional sources provide regarding liturgical art and architecture is needed more than ever in the United States.”James Hadley, on praytellblog.com. See his full article here.
Make your tax-deductible donation to Faith & Form!
Since 1967, Faith & Form has provided an interfaith forum for those working in religious arts and architecture to learn, discuss and honor work from all faiths. Betty Meyer served as Faith & Form’s editor from 1980 until 2001 and as editor emeritus until her passing in 2012; Betty believed that thoughtful dialog creates meaningful religious art and architecture. Donations to the Betty Meyer Fund assist Faith & Form, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, in fulfilling and continuing our mission to provide and exchange knowledge, insight and creativity among those who create and use religious art and architecture. Please use our online donation form to make your contribution today!
Note: Your contribution may be tax deductible per IRS regulations, please consult your tax advisor.
Spring as a Metaphor in Calendars of Faith
As the Earth’s southern hemisphere hastens its advance into Fall, with days becoming shorter and cooler, in the northern hemisphere we emerge from the deep freeze of Winter into the thaw of Spring, the season associated with rebirth. It is no coincidence that this is also the point that Christians emerge from the Lenten season into the warmth of Easter; Jews remember the exodus from the death-grip of Egypt, moving over a threshold similar to that of Winter into Spring. Nature provides numerous metaphors in various faith communities for the passage from one season into another. For instance, Passiflora, the “Passion” or Pasque Flower, takes its name from the French time of Easter, or “Pâques.” The word is similar to the Hebrew, “Pesach,” which means Passover, and is a clear reflection in the Abrahamic tradition of the connection between Easter, the resurrection of Christ and redemption from sin, and Passover, the freedom of the Jews from persecution by the Egyptians. That they would be celebrated in this season, with other observations of new life and resurrection, is not surprising. Some faith traditions and cultures celebrate with parties for Nowruz and Navroz, marking the new year in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, with wishes of peace and forgiveness. India and Nepal celebrate Holi, the Spring festival of colors, offering hopes for rebirth, growth, and renewal. The bright colors and frivolity offer a gracious opportunity to forget old wounds and extend lightness for positive new beginnings. In Japan, Hanami or Umemi festivals celebrate Spring with viewing the extraordinary beauty of cherry and plum … [Read More...]
Featured Article
Designing for the Subarctic Sacred
Founded in 2013, the McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University in Ontario was the first new school of architecture in Canada in 40 years. The first undergraduate cohort graduated in 2017, and in the fall of 2017 the Master of Architecture program was launched with three parallels … [Read More...]
Editorial
Displacement as a Condition of Faith
The recent annual symposium of the Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum (acsforum.org) in Coral Gables, Florida, focused on the topic of “Displacement and Architecture.” For me, this theme called into question the assumption that people of faith find solace from a profane word in sacred places where believers can find a spiritual home. In fact, many have argued that the condition of genuine religious belief is one of “displacement,” that spiritually the believer is … [Read More...]
The Last Word
Material Gateways
Recently, I’ve plugged into a new app, “Deep Time Walk,” while on my morning perambulations. Developed by ecologist Stephan Harding and others, the app walk is 4.6-kilometers-long, just under three miles, representing 4.6 billion years of the Earth’s history. Every footstep marks 500,000 years, igniting an appreciation of just how ancient the world is. At 400 steps, iron and nickel, the heavy metals, form Earth’s core. A quarter-mile more and the oceans surge. Rock that will … [Read More...]
