Universal Church Almost Ready, Still Ugly
Cleanliness mat be next to Godliness, but apparently good design is not. (At least not any more. In former times, religion was obviously a great sponsor of inspiring architecture.) We first spotted signs of this $12 million project by the Universal Church a couple of years ago. At the time, we said, “Frankly, we can’t…
Cleanliness mat be next to Godliness, but apparently good design is not. (At least not any more. In former times, religion was obviously a great sponsor of inspiring architecture.) We first spotted signs of this $12 million project by the Universal Church a couple of years ago. At the time, we said, “Frankly, we can’t see why the area needs a new church when beautiful old churches like St. Bartholomew are having such a difficult time remaining solvent.” On the upside, though, perhaps the presence of a religious institution will help clean up this corner of Classon and Fulton which has been plagued by a variety of sinners for years.
Development Watch: Universal Church at 1091 Fulton [Brownstoner] GMAP
Another Church on Fulton (As If It Needs One) [Brownstoner] DOB
Yikes…thank god, I’m a sinner!!
Sacred spaces have always been built for reasons other than the worship of the gods or God. The temples of Rome were built to impress the people of the Empire with its might, as much as the might of the gods. St. Peter’s Basilica shows, very impressively, God’s might and power intrinsically tied to the considerable might and power of the Catholic Church. Chartres and Notre Dame convey the power of faith to an illiterate peasantry needing proof of God’s majesty in a dark age, and the solid Victorian comfort of St. Bartholomew’s in Crown Heights, is a symbol of a comfortable, upper middle class Christianity, where quiet beauty is not disturbed by a vulgarity of excess.
The undeniable fact is that all are extremely beautiful in different ways, expressing the genius, and depth, of man’s quest for the beauty and the Divine. Places of worship have been the successful laboratories and galleries for most of the architectural, engineering and fine arts innovations and masterpieces in Western Civilization’s history. (As you can tell, I really love sacred spaces.)
Sadly, the sacred spaces of most fundamentalist and evangelic faiths, of all religions, is not concerned with beauty on this earth. Their purpose in gathering is to solidify their beliefs amongst themselves, and to bring in converts and raise cash. They pride themselves on a simplicity and utilitarianism, and lack of worldly distractions. Personally, I find that another reason to run screaming away from any religion that rigid. To me, the evidence of a magnificent God who created the intricacies of the universe is manifested in the beauty of man’s creation: in the incredible detail of an ancient mosque, the flying buttresses of a medieval cathedral, the enormity of scale of St. Peter’s and the quiet peace of a New England church.
There may be a reason the best was done in a simpler age, without the distractions of technology or the fast pace of modern life. This building gets the job done, it shelters their operation, holds their worshippers, and does not detract with worldy frou-frou. It is better than a car filled lot, or a crack house. It is not a bad thing, but it certainly doesn’t inspire. Too bad.
Sounds like one of these crock prosperity churches:
“When you are a child of God you must afford to buy yourself the car of your dreams, the house of your dreams… In the same way that Abraham, Jacob and Job were prosperous you too must be prosperous.”
– http://www.stopsuffering.org/lun.html
good point
THL – this doesn’t look like a unitarian universalist church to me. unitarianism is a very distinct religion, and they wouldn’t be likely to have a “jesus christ is lord” banner at the top of one of their buildings.
Years ago I was in Provincetown during Easter and wanted to go to a church for the music and all the pomp. I went to the Unitarian church. The woman pastor was wearing a beanie cap with a propeller. All the congregation hats were weird, there was no music and then there was this open forum for anyone to comment and it was all “Bush bashing.”
What a letdown when all I wanted was some pomp & circumstance.
From Wikipedia:
Unitarian Universalism (UUism) is a theologically liberal religion characterized by its support for a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth. Unitarian Universalists draw on many different theological sources and have a wide range of beliefs and practices.
PitBull…anyone with money in their pocket can attend.
You wait on line hand over a deposit ticket and they hand you a wafer.