Secrets of Cathedral Styles
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- čas přidán 13. 01. 2024
- Exploring the world of cathedral architecture offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of art, religion, and history. Each architectural style, such as Gothic, Cistercian, Romanesque, Byzantine, and Neoclassical, is not just a matter of aesthetic preference; it reflects the theological and philosophical views of the era in which it was built.
For instance, Gothic cathedrals, are famous for their towering heights and soaring spires, which were not possible in early Romanesque constructions. But the reason for learning how to engineer these new heights came from a desire to flood the church nave with more light, because the theologians thought that light was the best symbol of the divine presence, of Christ "illuminating" the world. In contrast, Cistercian architecture, with its emphasis on simplicity and austerity, mirrored a monastic life dedicated to purity and asceticism.
This video is adapted from insights in the book "The House of God" by Edward Norman. - Zábava
A lot of these observations come from the book “House of God” by Edward Norman. He is a historian and former priest and goes into the psychological depth of the architectural styles mentioned here, plus many others like Romanesque, Neoclassical, and Hermit Abbeys. Absolutely stunning color photography too.
Will you ever write a book of your own connecting all these facts in your own mind? Or more longform videos. I'm interested in what learning and teaching all of this has taught you. I understand shorts perform better but damn these tidbits leave me interested.
I really love your videos.
i would like to add, sound was also a focus when building these, there is a belief that sound can heal the spirit. Some of the mosaics are built to reflect cymatic patterns. (sound visualized)
What is a former priest? I have never heard of a priest being former. I thought priesthood is for life...
Hey, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it or read it, but there’s a book called “The master and his emissary” by Ian Mc…something. It might get somewhat biological at certain points but it is a nice perspective, by which he describes how we happen to experience the world and that culture, arts, religion etc. are representatives of some of the patterns our perception of the world illustrates.
Dude
No matter what your religion is, some of those cathedrals look absolutely breathtaking
I am an atheist but damn that is some good looking buildings. Especially baroque ones.
Absolutely! I'm Muslim and I would definitely like to visit some of those cathedrals. 😇
@@pixelmango2920same!
Yeah. I'm not religious, but one of my favorite places on Earth is Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy - the one with the famous dome. And many places I'd love to visit are other churches and cathedrals in Europe, especially Gothic cathedrals, plus mosques around the world. They're just stunning. It's amazing to me how people are inspired by religion to create such beauty.
Yup... but imagine how silly would those people feel now knowing that religion is BS and they could actually rather save half of their children from starving to death with all that effort and money church robbed them for:/
I gotta say, I wish we valued architecture like this today
Take a look at the Mormons lol they got that shit on lock
We do. It just isn’t cost effective to build something so extravagant. Plus, some of these cathedrals took 100+ years to build.
It still is. Just a different architectural style
whose pocket is it gonna come out of and for whose benefit?
Same. We’ve lowered our standards bc industrialization basically had the fast food effect on architecture. It’s cheap and fast, so anybody that doesn’t want to do that is going above and beyond.
It can also be a reflection of acoustics or the availability of a sound system. High vaulted cathedrals carried sound before microphones.
Yes! It's amazing how they could build it to make everyone hear mass
I'm not religious but I was at a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in Glasgow Cathedral just before Christmas. I wondered how it would sound in such a building but it was fine. Mind you, this was my first live performance.
Yeah I love singing in churches or cathedrals! Didn't know they were specifically designed like that though!
Catholic temples!!!
@@duncanbryson1167to the glory of God Almighty!
Just a correction, a cathedral is not just a fancy word for a church, it is where the seat of a bishop is. A cathedral can some pieces of wood duct taped together as long as a bishop operates from there. In addition, you could build the most ornate church in the world and it would not be a chathedral if there is no bishop governing from there. Christian denominations without an episcopal hierarchy do not have cathedrals.
Womp womp
The biggest church in the world is not w cathedral (St Peter's basilica) and the second one used to not be also until 2016
@@pedrolmlkzkSagrada Familia is another great example of a huge and amazing church that's not a Cathedral
Eh… yet you can have a cathedral ceiling and no bishop
Colloquially, many people call the church itself a cathedral. It's pretty common.
The cathedrals we could make today would be truly divine
Nope. The architects would not allow it.
Well we’re still making them: have you been to Barcelona to see the Sagrada Familia?
@@tavernburner3066nahh, it's more like a budget wouldn't allow it. Even more simplistic designs are still made recently in Okc a Catholic cathedral has been built
Look at Liverpool catholic cathedral og design that is lovely
Yeah it depends on the denomination, but most churches would be accused of wasting money if they tried to do something truly elaborate today. There are plenty of churches that spend way too much money building a buildings, but it's usually because they're building a preschool or kitchen or a playground or something for the youth program... Spending tons and tons of money simply to make the church look beautiful usually does lead to more criticisms about how it should be money spent on ministry, charity, etc. And that's a pretty valid criticism honestly. If people nearby are facing homelessness, where is Jesus more likely to direct our money? People have been criticizing churches of stained glass hypocrisy for years.
ahaha, that last "modern" church just cracked me up 😂
*modern "church"
protestant church
" "modern" """"church"""" "
It looks like a small town grocery store 😅
@@Mabyetomorrowit's only a room where belivers can meet and talk about a book. It has no use being big and nice looking.
Man I'm an agnostic but every time I go traveling and visit some of these amazing gothic and baroque cathedrals I'm always amazed at the engineering talent that went into building them. People spent generations laying bricks of a building that their grandchildren probably wouldn't live to see, we've really lost that kind of thinking as a people.
Something that really strikes me about it is that atheists and agnostics seem to have no desire to make such beautiful buildings of their own. Like, if religion really was this massive impediment to progress and art, surely secular art would be the best. And yet, I always find myself coming back to ancient cathedrals and lamenting that we don't build things that are truly beautiful anymore.
Maybe I am just biased, but I think the secular world is pretty lacking when it comes to art and architecture. Which is a shame because the world can always use more beauty.
You use an oxymoron!
An agnostic does not know that he doesn't know!!
@bearistotle2820 Those catholic cathedras were built during "the Dark ages"!!!
@bearistotle2820 agnostics have like no issue with religion, what's ur issue?
Have you been in Orthodox Churches?
I went to York minster last year and when I stepped inside I was almost in tears. I couldn’t believe men could build such a beautiful place centuries beforehand, it was a site to behold
You failed to mention acoustics. In the eras before microphones and amplification the architecture and vaulted ceilings allowed for sound to echo and travel above the standing crowd. Look into Bach and Handel's works for differing overviews of writing music for the church, and how their chorale vs organ vs harpsichord set ups affected the quality of the performance.
Edited because autocorrect autofailed. "Perfirmance" is not a word phone 😮💨
Of course! Vaulted ceilings was another way to allow sounds to reach a vast audience, so everyone could understand what's going on.
And the funding allocated to those buildings to be built in the first place.
Also vaulted ceilings are very efficient ways to make it stable- you need fewer supports if the arch of the ceiling buttresses itself.
I'm sure there are a hundred things he failed to include, but he was only making a video about how belief shapes the church, ya know? It could take forever if he tried including it all. This would make an interesting full video though. Most people find architecture boring but I think it's pretty cool.
I think while including acoustics, they’ve also consider the beauty of long lasting architecture. Choosing stone and masonry they’ve built long lasting places of worship and can stand against the test of time - ‘if it’s holy, take care of it, especially if you pass down the generations’.
Still, churches you’d find in Europe are some true masterpieces of human engineering. As an Asian, it’s incredible how far people’s faith helped create such impressive architecture
As an European thats mostly old churches, modern churches look very brutalist
Though in America the belief in there mega churches are just down right insane and greedy
I would argue that the various types of Asian architecture are even more gorgeous than their European counterparts! The shrines and temples in Japan, Korea, India, etc. are nothing short of breathtaking. Smaller and perhaps a bit more subdued in some cases, but they have a subtle grace and connection to nature that European architecture lacks.
Asian religious architecture can easily compete with European cathedrals
What did you being Asian have to do with it? I imagine there are churches in asia but many more temples which are basically the same thing- Holy sites for meditation
My dads a pastor and he my mom and I were recently taking a vacation in Italy. We were touring this cathedral and realized they were about to start mas so we started to head out. But before we did the church goers started singing and even though it was in Italian and none of us could really understand it the way the music echoed in the building was breathtaking.
As a regular churchgoer I find this very interesting! Thanks!
Gothic cathedrals and so many others are absolutely breathtaking
On the outside, yes. Baroque churches are much more beautiful on the inside.
You know they most likely worshipped a man too, a man that never wanted to be a God, the God Emperor.
@@SordidusFellatio FOR THE EMPEROR AND FOR HOLY TERRA
Plot twist: no God.
Plot twist: its still a very good looking building@@hal90001
When I was the Navy we were on a deployment in the Med, and one of our ports was Marseilles, France. While walking around with a few buddies we saw a cathedral and decided to go inside an have a look around the place. Little did we know, that church was the Notre-Dame de la Garde which had origins spanning back as far as 1218. We were standing in a structure that predated our country by almost 700 years. It was after that deployment and seeing many ancient sites and structures including Roman ruins that I decided to study history in college and made it my life's passion, because the more you know history the better you can predict the future.
That is so true. Plus I was told “The reason we learn about wars is so we learn how to prevent them from happening”
@@BMoney8600who's "we"
@@user-nc2ey4kw7r “we” is all of us
Been in that exact church for that exact reason.
@@user-nc2ey4kw7rhumanity stupid
Love how thoughts get embedded in the material world we create
Probably the most educational short I've ever seen.
yeah been getting rare these days.
I'll need to remember this next time I build a cathedral.
Don't build a walmart-style one please 😇
Once i built a cathedral in minecraft that looked like the duomo of Milan
Check out LDS temples
...in minecraft
This spring I got the chance to go to france and sing with my chorus in two cathedrals, both looked vastly different and the sound of our voices bouncing back at us was gorgeous
One of my favorite lessons regarding cathedrals and churches was from one of my dad’s friends who is an architect; “The truth will naturally create beautiful things” is what he said
What a pretty phrase.
Pity it doesn't actually mean anything.
churches and cathedrals will always be some of the most beautiful feats of human architecture
The Las Vegas dome clears
it’s amazing what the influence of god can do 🙏
The Bean in Chicago>>🥱
@@_michael_q THE BEAN 🫘
But also that one’s not really architecture, it’s a sculpture and doesn’t serve a practical purpose.
I did a project about it in my design class and ended up reading deep into the drama surrounding the artist. o.o
Makes sense, who wouldn't want to put their best foot foward when showing reverence to their deity
I went to Toledo Spain and my god the cathedral of Toledo is one of the biggest and most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen. Took like 400 years to build the stone work and detail of every inch is a spectacle to behold.
You should look up the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. It's like a small town. Absolutely mind blowing.
It's like government.. the more 💰 they can use to adorn/decorate things, the more they can ask for, & the more they can take on the side. 😮😢
I looked it up, it looks amazing, kind of average in size for European cathedrals tho, at least in Spain
@odynith9356 That's I think my favorite Catherdal that I've visited too!!! It's is absolutely gorgeous 😍
@@jonslg240what the fuck are you even saying
I would love a longer vid going into more depth on this subject
lol this was exactly like sharing one of my art history classes. Great how you can take such wonderful information and concisely put it into a one minute long short yet better explaining something that a professor would take 50 minutes to explain.
Small note- the baroque style in portugal was used more as a protection insted of fully simbolic. Its sturdy and bunker like apearance was used as a place where villagers could hide if the village was ever invaded by an army
Right like small note on gothic too: they built it higher under the idea that the higher you get, the closer you are to the heavens and god. Introduced by Abbot Suger, light was still an important concept though, symbolising god; this is also the reason you could see in cathedrals like the Chartres that one of the defining features of gothic art is their stained glass.
So you could say it was a refuge, both for the spirit and for the body
@@conscript900 in a sence.
Yes, while you were inside it wasnt unusual for people to pray for help while under atack
The monastery of Leça do Balio is a good example of fortified religious architecture
Amd you brought it here later. Assuming the churches at Ouro Preto follow the same style as the barroco português.
They also sometimes include resonance patterns into the glass and stone work. Really fascinating
i used to live next to the charles church that was shown in the video, in person the church looks breathtaking. it is much bigger than what it looks like and is very pretty
I understand being shocked by the craftsmanship of these buildings. However, I personally love the incredibly thin, ghostly glass and steel obelisks we build now. I feel like they are the perfect building for our time.
It should also be noted that often climate can affect how churches are built, at least from what I was taught in art history. Roman churches had small, round windows mostly while the further north you go (and the more gothic) the taller and more frequent the windows became. This, according to my professor, had to do with internal thermo-regulation
Sorry, but that doesn't actually make much sense to me. Higher ceilings are frequently an adaptation for warm climates, since heat rises away from where people are, whereas having fewer windows reduces solar gain. Honestly I think a big thing is simply building technology. The Romanesque style precedes the Gothic style, and the Gothic style was only possible because of some important innovations that allowed people to build that high. Clearly this is a much more complicated topic than can be addressed in a youtube short.
@@moratiwawaka yeah the idea was more windows let more light in which meant more heat in colder regions. It was likely multifactorial like you're saying. I will say that both building styles we were looking at in that class had really high ceilings, so idk if that helps clarify. That teacher also had demonstrable memory issues though, so i take things i learned in that class with a grain of salt lol. Thanks for this info!
@@floweryomi5351 This sounds like forcing a bad theory onto a sound observation.
The sunlight coming in through the windows does warm the place internally, but not more than it leaks heat like crazy in 80% of the time - basically at night, and the whole way through the colder half of the year.
The reason for small windows is sound, maintaining a cool temperature inside helps.
But cathedrals lacked effective internal heating - in fact they had no heating at all -, so there was no heat to regulate at all.
What seems far more likely is that this way they increased LIGHT. People really underestimate how dark Europe is during the winter. We're significantly higher up than the US, so basically during winter, you get like 4 hours of decent sunlight, 4 hours of filtered sunlight... and that's it. So using large windows extends productive hours by the sunlight by quite a few hours. Pretty important for monks, with their work philosophy and whatnot. Also, the whole "closer to god by light" theme.
I think the far more insane part of this is that medieval cathedrals really had no heating. HOW THE F_CK DID PEOPLE NOT FREEZE?
Christian churches started getting bigger and flashier while christianity started spreading more towards the north, got more supporters and more money
@@TheDeltaMoo You realize that christianity was introduced into Europe through Rome, right?
“Those Ugly Strip Malls!” Hahaha! That made my night
Imagine not living in Europa. My first church visit was in an almost 1000 year old church. It was not even that impressive because there are still a lot of them around.
@@actualiygod6782 First of all: *Europe.
Second of all, America still has old churches that are still widely used to this day. There's a church just in my town that turns 100 years old this year, and there's been a church in use since 1610 that still operates as a church in New Mexico.
The age of works that we make in His honor are not that which is important; it is the devotion that was show when we build these things in His honor that matters. Strip mall churches, of course, are an abomination, though this does not mean that we, His children in the United States, have not built things in His glory as you in Europe have.
@@actualiygod6782Clearly you care about vanity more than faith
@@jitt992 I dont care about faith at all.
@@actualiygod6782 Right, keep paying 50% income tax to give immigrants free housing and healthcare.
We need more breathtaking architecture
I love that my university has an entire class about the symbolism, construction, and architecture of cathedrals.
I don't think there's a single channel doing better shorts on the entire platform than yours. Content is so unique and interesting and structured perfectly with very good production too.
I agree
second that 👌🏻
definitely, these videos are so good even from an atheist perspective, pure quality right here
Couldn't agree more!
I want to like them, but I can't trust anything he says after some incredible sensational lies/misconceptions I've seen him pass as fact. Eg. that all high schoolers in Finland can speak 4 (or 5? can't remember, both false) languages when they graduate.
Hi, former church staff here.
There’s also a _huge_ factor which is cost.
For one, if it’s a “planted church” (I.e. another church or organization is paying their start up costs, which can be quite considerable) they don’t want to blow their entire budget on a building.
Second, ease of access. If you want your church to be inner city it’s almost impossible to start a _new_ church and get enough land to build a more traditional building.
Third, it’s not _just_ that the material world is fleeting, but also that The Church is comprised of the Body of Christ, as in the assembly of believers. Buildings are nice, but in the most literal sense there is no such building as “a church.”
And for Protestants in general there’s a “don’t be like the catholics” sentiment that could also influence that.
Your response is what I wanted to say!
That's funny because protestants have megachurches with pastors that are millionaires. It's an extreme but in complete contradiction with what you've said because these huge stadium-like churches can technically be counted as the new type of architecture for churches. Why? Because for every "Notre-Dame de Paris", you probably had hundreds of small churches without the budget to make things like that. And yet they're regarded as the style for their time. That's in direct comparison to today as well.
@@w花b 2/3 of my points were directly talking about newer/smaller churches, like the one featured in the video.
The final one does apply to all churches who share that theology (which I think is most Protestants) but there certainly are wasteful charlatans with lots of popularity and money.
@@Jessie_Helmsbro preach that last part more often, yall gotta be ridiculing the mega church fanatics if theyre ever gonne see the obvious wrongs in their system.
I'm glad you mentioned the start up cost. I posted a comment talking about how much more expensive it is to buy a plot of land and build an entirely new building than it ever has been in the past, and how churches just starting out simply can't afford it. The church that opened for the "younger generation" when I was in high school, opened IN my high school and has expanded from there to another used building. What new church has the money for incredible, detailed, intricate architecture unless the owner is a millionaire to begin with?
think about it, the morden cathedrals actually are the massive science facilities like LHC, we actually need to sacrifice lots of energy to it and it does give back magic powers
I think the modern strip mall churches are more of a reflection on the church's budget than anything else.
A small church that has 60 or maybe 80 regular attendees can't afford a huge and extravagant building. Besides, some of those small churches are helping build orphanages, feeding people, offering free counseling, and a whole bunch of other benefits on top of the spiritual benefits! Oh, and it makes a difference when you don't have the government running the state religion. The Pilgrims fled Europe and their beautiful buildings because the state church jailed religious opponents. I'll take a strip mall church over that every day of the week.
@@hayfieldhermit9657They could build more elaborate buildings. But why bother when people come in anyway? They just pocket the money, and the charity sessions get a minor percentage.
@@Poeneutral I can't answer for other churches but mine is congregation run. We know what our finances are because we handle them. I think it's safe to say that half or more of our income is spent on helping people outside of our own congregation and ministerial staff. People stop at our church all the time asking for food or help with personal stuff. Sometimes they want some gas fir their car. And I'm sure some people have probably got a free tank of gas when they really could have paid for it themselves, but at the same time I'm sure we have helped some people who were stuck in a bad spot.
I know there are preachers who are scamming people for millions of dollars. But the answer to that are congregation run churches. The people need to take responsibility for the money and how it gets spent.
@@hayfieldhermit9657 I'm sure your congregation takes well care of that responsibility. Still, it would be more interesting with some ornate structures.
You look at Notre Dame and just see beauty. The arches, the windows, the towers. It is breathtaking.
Especially with all that lead it spread out around 😅😂😂😂
Did look great. I went in 2018 before it burned…
The most beautiful part was the "Forest", the intricate wood structure that supported the roof. I was lucky enough to visit for work (I was a guide preparing a circuit. But the Forest was closed to visitors usually). I'm not religious but there was something in that place. The work of hundreds of people 800 years ago, fixed in time, intricate and seemingly eternal.
Good thing is the restoration is almost complete, altho the windows are a mockery to the previous ones.
I've seen the Hagia Sofia mosque which used to be a Byzantine cathedral, and the shear size of the building is absolutely stunning. There's I belive 4 different types of marble, intricate paintings on the ceiling, and is 2 stories high. You can also see where the marble threshold is worn over time around 3 inches in the center. It's crazy the things people would build so long ago.
I'm Greek with a high percentage of my heritage from pontus and I am very disappointed that the Agia Sofia Church has become a mosque and it's architecture destroyed, they removed many mosaics and added minarets and made it a mosque. Our church still spiritually represents Constantinople and the past and will never be a mosque, even when the authorities tried covering up jesus on the dome the plaster fell off, I think a bit recently that I also saw footage of people preying in the agia sofia and the ceiling falling off, the heritage scientists and people even said that it is at risk of collapse, which proves that the church wants to be a church again and rejects Islam. Even though the Agia Sofia has a mixed history, everyone can agree that it has an EXTREMELY rich history and for over 1,500 it has withstood many things that other structures couldn't.
Halfdan was there.
The saddest part about Agia Sophia is that it is meant to be the centre of Orthodoxy for the Greek people. To us it is our Mecca, our Vatican. And for it to be under the occupation of another government, defaced and perverted into a Mosque really shows how little the Turks care about Greeks, our faith or religion as a whole. One can only imagine how much more breathtaking it would be when it is finally returned to the Greeks. Still, I'm glad that you appreciated the building even in its current state.
@@dragonrings14Cope more, shouldn't have lost.
@@randomideas7799Womp womp
Recently went to Wakefield Cathedral in West Yorkshire. It has evolved over 1200 tears from a preaching cross in the market square and then a wooden hut to a stone Church in Norman times which was extended in Medieval times to become a Cathedral in Victorian times
I'm obsessed with designing gothic cathedrals for a hobby, but the others are so beautiful.
I'm gonna save this to reference back to whenever I need to make a cathedral for my DnD setting
You sound like a good dm
A Furry and a Dungeons and Dragons player. God does punish twice.
@@HannibalKantter ...how am I a furry?
@@danielgiovanniello7217they thought your profile pic was a furry
@@danielgiovanniello7217it’s still anime so cringe
The strip mall churches are a reflection of the fact the church believed it would be too expensive to build a new church and got a screaming good deal on the lease.
Why buy land and build a building when you can rent and funnel all the profits to your pocket?
@@dillonventola408Exactly. Churches are ran like businesses in today's world. It's all about how much money you make.
If there are people who doubt this, look up Joel Osteen and find a picture of his house. Guarantee it looks more like what a CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation would live in.
But what does it tell us about the churches relation to god?
You may argue it is a rejection of the material world, to keep churches simple, but to be honest evangelical churches are very material. The pilgrim fathers would have kept their churches simple for that reason.
A lot of churches don't have windows because they have to pay insurance to have them, because people tend to throw stones at them.
@@dillonventola408Dang, beat me too it! Exactly what I came to say. Strip mall churches are a reflection of a pastor’s desire to book his flock. Just look at Joel Osteen and his mansion. He isn’t interested in building a temple to God because he is more interested in building a castle for himself.
The dome ones are so beautiful
You got the essence of gothic architecture right ❤️👍
How I wish my teacher in art class explained it this way. It could have made me appreciate why the styles are in that way and not just describing what it is.
Yeah I think the classic way of teaching it is that Romanesque architecture has arches with round tops, and Gothic architecture has arches with pointed tops. But they don’t explain why anyone was interested in figuring out how to engineer a different arch.
@@_magnify I was told the switch in the architecture from Romanesque to Gothic was so that buildings could be made taller without sacrificing structural integrity. Gothic architecture is all about getting that height, while Romanesque architecture was built using the materials at hand (mostly concrete and marble blocks, as glass was available but more expensive and hence rarer).
The Romanesque architecture did not allow for good windows, either, because their designs required the main walls to be the structural support to hold up their buildings. It probably wasn't that big a problem at the time that buildings had smaller windows, since glass would probably be expensive to manufacture and maintain, while concrete would have been considered more plentiful. So, it might have been "cheaper" to make a building in the Roman style during the Roman times.
I thought Gothic architecture was considered the "next" advancement in building architecture since the style allowed for very tall buildings with plenty of natural light coming in from the windows and supplemented the lack of structural integrity by creating tall supporting "buttresses" that created the tall-and-pointed style we talk about today. The Gothic architecture was the precursor to the skyscraper, using the materials they had at hand (glass was more easily manufactured at this time and was hence considered a building material, though the process would still be painstaking).
I think it would be better to say that religion does not change throughout history; rather, different religions prefer to use different styles of architecture (a building changes their focus), and architecture, too, changes throughout history based on the materials at hand.
@@_magnify but then again we're in Asia so we cannot relate much about this :)
@@_magnify
Acts 17:24-27 KJV
24 GOD that made the world and ALL THINGS therein, seeing that He is LORD of heaven and earth, dwelleth NOT IN TEMPLES made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the LORD(YAHWEH), if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.
Really?? I'm Spanish and all my art teachers usually explained that, at least about the light.
We don't have cathedrals made of wood, so that's fine, but I would like that they would explain to me all the other ways to explain the divinity across the architecture ❤
As an Italian, I'm asking
What the heck is that modern church, you have no crumbling walls and freezing air inside of it?
Churches you have built by taxes and almost free labour, but the modern church is only paid and built by who goes there and funds it so it definitely can't be like italian, french or spanish churches.
@@shadowly114 I think most churches were built by donations, rather than taxes. The Vatican being an exception, as it's a city state. But they have tons of money from the churches and businesses owned by the Catholic church.
Cool looking church bu at was cost
The material world is fleeting but they get air conditioning everywhere.
As an Austrian I thought the same thing 😂. I mean I get that you wouldn't build a whole new cathedral but just something that...resembles a church? And not a grocery store?
And one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen are those mega churches they got in the US!!
This is a pleasant history lesson thank you
I would honestly honestly argue that a major factor is also how much the culture, appreciates art, architecture, and has the money to put to the designs of their buildings
Catholic church: For God just the best.
Protestant church: Spottet next to Subway In the mall.
Damn the war is still going
He literally just explained why and you're still on about this? Friendly reminder the earliest Christians worshipped in caves and cellars, God doesn't care about the style of his temple as long as his followers' worship is sincere.
It was a joke
@@cagatland7855 The early Christians who worshipped in caves weren't Catholic!
@@cagatland7855 excuses, excuses, your church is just lazy and only wants your money, thats why they had to eliminate 7 books of the canon just to steal from their followers, the catholic and ortodox churches are the only real ones created by jesus himself
hi!! little correction from an european art history student:
a "cathedral" is a church where a bishop preaches. so every cathedral is a church, but most churches are not cathedrals.
i love your shorts, but the terminology is a little misguiding since you talk about churches in general, not just cathedrals :)
Oddly enough, i think basilica might be a better word. While it’s canonically used for deeming a church historically or architecturally important, we’re really just calling the place huuuuuge
@@simondeepBasilicas are different. They're churches that are important centres of worship or some other special reason for the title to be granted. Cathedrals are simply where a Bishop stays at.
Thanks for sharing that tidbit! I genuinely thought what made a cathedral was just relative size and grandeur. So a tiny shed could be technically a cathedral, just so long as a bishop holds services there?
@@zabchan Technically yeah. It's also his actual everyday main church, so it's a more permanent thing, to be justified for both him and the community. Just looking at US history, it took a while for a local community to grow large enough before that area was organized as a diocese, and a bishop appointed. Then a church was finally dedicated as a cathedral; oftentimes the people or the bishop went and built one after the appointment
@@zabchanNot “hold services,” but has his seat- his *cathedra.*
I love gothic and wish it were more popular everywhere, for _everything_ (houses, clothes, music, films etc). Gothic is just incredibly beautiful and complex and dark and mysterious, oh I love it! Witchhouse, industrial, aggotech, wave music are my favorite genres but there isn't enough gothic architecture (esp in Perth, Australia) or enough goths (people) to keep things interesting and beautiful!
Bro we can litteraly have church service at the lake standing or sitting in the sand and God would still love us and care about us as much as the next sinner that will be save soon. How much love is that????? GOD CAME DOWN IN FLESH , FLESH OF HIS BEGOTTEN to Give you a chance.
Protestant going to orthodox church meme is gold.
The Gothic style needs to come back, not just with Churches but other buildings as well.
it will ......in m31
Victorian UK was a great Gothic Revival period. Look up Augustus Pugin, Violet-le-Duc (technically French), Edwin Luyten, George Gilbert Scott.
I’m formally trained in architecture. Looking to experiment with Gothic ideas. Studying some of Middle Ages Gothic cathedrals and Victorian buildings. Hoping to get something built in my lifetime.
Seeing those fancy cathedrals in person is really something else
I've never been religious, and I'm very critical of any and all religious organisations, but cathedrals and churches have the most beautiful architecture
Baroque and gothic cathedrals are just *chef kiss * they're breathtaking
As a Catholic, I absolutely love the architecture of my church!
Of course, you paid for it
Isnʼt it great how everyone can be a part of something really great by giving just so little?
@@zanussidish5685good
What is your church do you mind telling it ? If you don’t know the name just say the address and I’ll check it on Google maps
@@matheuscaneta1194 St. Joseph church bowling green Kentucky
I would actually like to see a video on how these large stone cathedrals and basilicas are actually made. That has to be a story by itself
You should have way more subscribers…the problem is that nowadays people are mostly interested in silly skits , fake videos etc…. Good job man
Suddenly it makes sense why churches these days feel so architecturally boring
It's not about architecture it's about God
So if you have a God-given talent, then you shouldn't use it?@mustang8206
@@mustang8206you don’t want God’s house to be pretty?
@@Tea_laBlue- See, protestants don't believe that the physical church is God's house. It's just a place believers gather to fellowship and worship. God is with and is omnipresent.
its just american ones
Thanks, I’m gonna use this in the next cathedral I build
I had never thought about it before. But, what you are saying makes sense. Some cathedrals are absolutely breathtaking.
I like my European historical churches. Kinda took it for granted because the plain modern ones are so depressing. This Sunday i’ll make sure to look at the decorations more.
If this is how my art teacher back in high school explain art styles of different eras, I'd be way more interested in art.
They just taught this one is spikey and the other ones are not.
I’m so sorry for your experience! I was so fortunate for my art history teachers in college to be absolutely amazing. Not everything about uni was worthwhile, but those were probably the best classes I ever took there. I didn’t have any art history in high school, but tbh I’m okay with that bc I started with the best. The funny thing is that I had no real interest in art history b4 I was required to take those first couple college courses. I’d recommend finding more videos on CZcams like this to satisfy your curiosity!
My art history classes taught me to see art differently, which imo taught me to see the world differently. I enjoy art museums in a way I never really did before. (I still sorta liked art museums as a teen, but there were many eras that didn’t capture my attention as much, and I often preferred other tourist activities).
Now that I’m out of uni, I’m worried my art history knowledge will slip over time and I won’t be able to enjoy museums in 10 years like I do now. So I also want to try to make an effort to watch more art history content on CZcams or documentaries/movies from time to time (or read books too lol) to help keep these revelations in my mind and keep that thought process alive for me
Same. lol we had an entire lesson on Greek columns and the three or so basic types and it was random as fuck to spend that much time on pillars of all things: it may have been made more interesting if they talked about each foundation’s era of prominence and ascetic value. But no, it was pointless and forgettable.
And by the way, I’ve got a degree in history and I’m baffled at why we spent a whole week studying fucking PILLARS in my western civilization class in highschool. WE HARDLY EVEN TALKED ABOUT THEM YET A WHOLE WEEK ON PILLARS
I mean. This guy wasn't all that right. He generalised too much. Comparing church from IX century to XVIII centuru and undefined Byzantine architexture is hardly of any worth.
Also it's simply false. In IX century not every church was wooden, some were stoned. But the problem is that wood was cheaper and easier to construct. Same with bricks. Stone was always considered luxurious material.
Techmological changes also mattered. Ghotic churches are higher because they simply could be. Weight of the roof in ghtoic churches isn't based on walls like in roman case but on "supportive segments" - Idk their name in english, which are attavhed on around 60○ to walls. They were higher also because they could be closer to God - as heaven was treated literally. And so there could be more lights because windows could get bigger because weight is not directly on the wall. Also using XVIII century for Baroque is quite wrong as the style was mostly in decline as over time preffered method was either Rokoko or Clasicism. But even then it all depends on region. When Ghotic was wildely spreading in countries like Commonwealth, in France it became old and Mannierism became more favorable. This is just one example.
I also see no point in comparing modern protestant churches with Baroque churches which were mostly Catholic (tho there are some Protestant ones). It's pointless because Protestant idea on it really didn't change that much. Idea that matter is contemporary and thus unimportant is literally known in protestantism from XVI century. The difference is in shape of building that today some of the churches doesn't even look like one from the outside. But Idea at it's core is the same. Cstholic churches underwent more. Baroqie was meant to show beauty of God. He's fullness, abundance etc. It was also important for rich people. They were thanking God for their richess by giving some of it to Him. Then we have Clasicism which doesn't deny that importance but goes back directly to antiquity. It again focuses on idea of God more than matter. But then again it's all nuanced.
@@P.H.226He didn't manage to fit all that in in a short of under one minute? How strange!
@@alaron5698 no ofc he couldn't vut what he said is also partially wrong. I've said more to explain why. Frankly speaking he could hsve said technological dvances without ezplaining them but he didn't. Symbolic meaning was important but it was not the only reason as video suggest
grew up orthodox eastern and oriental im half palestinian and half armenian and let me just say, the churches as a child would be so mesmerizing. i remember tuning out everything as a kid bc i was a kid who didnt care to be listening to arabic surmons , and id just stare at all the paintings and stained glass above me and all the detailed paintings to my sides. you guys can actually see it too ! they are the Warrior Saints on youtube and the stream every week !
Thank you for sharing this information🙏🏽!! I hope you are doing ok right now
Oh yeah, Armenian churches are beautiful! I’m Armenian American, and my church is full of carved wood and paintings of ppl from the Bible and crosses and gold. The church is also shaped like a cross
I’ve also been to some of the churches in Armenia. Also beautiful!
So are you part of the kufar??
🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
@@AM-mv6ro are you idiotic?
Cathedrals can tell a history of an area, that's what I love about cathedrals
Wow…what a short!!! I have never looked at it like that!!!
I wish they put as much effort into buildings today as they did with these cathedrals.
Catholic here, I really love the cathedrals, whether they be Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox. It’s a testimony to the glory of God and His greatness.
Fellow Catholic here!
I like both Catholic and Protestant churches. the architecture simply expresses different focuses. The Catholics want to represent the greatness and glory of God, while the Protestants focus more on the closeness in the relationship between God and man.
Yeah...God doesnt really exist. Funny how they say he is all powerful and can make all kinds of stuff. Yet the ONE thing god cant do is make time to come and reveal himself on Xms and say happy birthday....to me. Just like a deadbeat dad.
@@UpcomingJedino one cares
@@UpcomingJedi I actually do have evidence for His existence! Highly recommend checking out the Eucharistic Miracles!
Protestant entering a Baroque cathedral and realising it's not just 4 green walls and a scene 🤯 .
I did the first one and both my shoulders POPPED. felt so good!
This is very interesting! I can say, however, that most modern churches that meet in strip malls or other rented spaces are simply meeting where they can afford to meet. Most small churches do not have the budget to own a large church and are willing to hold services anywhere that they can.
If you want a good representation of modern church philosophy look at Crossroads Christian church in grand prairie. It's the size of a small college campus and reflects modern religions attempt to once again become part of the cultural norm
😂#allreligionsarecults #goddoesntexist #allgodsarefalse #allreligionsarewrong #science
@@scootersonlyrepair6773😂#yourlifeispointless #nothingmatters #nihilismisquirky #theonlyhopeyouhaveisthesweetreleaseofdeath
Like your worldview is better.
@scootersonlyrepair6773 hey, buddy, r/atheism is on Reddit, not CZcams.
I'd also like to add that his description of why the church visits in strip malls is a little off. It's an understanding that the people themselves are the church, not the building, so that changes the whole way we look at the building we worship in. (At least this is the protestant view.)
For a lot of newer non-denominational churches, we meet in the 'strip mall' buildings or even set up and then tear down every service at a building that allows us to use them for the sake of saving money. The more money saved (not taking care of rent and whatnot or construction and upkeep), the more can be put into missionary work and aid for others. It's a service-oriented perspective.
Spreading non-denominational protestantism is a dis-service. Jesus started a Church.
Not a bad system for those who are already in, but part of every mission is conversion right? Modern churches sure arent drawing in many who weren't born into it or in desperate situations. It's not something most people would want to get anywhere near if they werent part of the community already, even those who might be interested.
@@ReasonableRadio That won't stop us from trying to bring the gospel to people. We may not get huge swathes, but even just one soul being saved is worth it, as even scripture says (Luke 15:7).
Non-denominational is pretty weird in general
@@Andrea-ec8rk but the real problem is that you cannot explain some parts of the Gospel, because you don't understand it. That's why you are non-denom to begin with.
And the Gospel was not written down to be interpreted however you feel or think like.
The last supper for example is the institute of the sacraments of Eucharist and priesthood. This is the objective meaning, it has a historic record of this believe by the Early Church (see the Didache).
What do you offer people? Because it is not what has been given and revealed by our Lord.
Definitely a fan of the gothic cathedrals.
Basically a reflection of how much power the Church had as times changed
Not true, cause in the 800 AD church had more power than in the 1700 AD and that church he presented in the 1700 was amazing while the one in tbe 800 was very simple.
Also you can see amazing Coptic churches that exist in Egypt where churches have way less power and resources than Protestant non denominations church in USA
This is real internet free cultural material. Thanks dude.
i’m presbyterian raised in catholic influence and my church is actually sooooo pretty bcs it’s very catholic inspired at victorian era in modern atlanta and i’ve always loved the architecture
Which church is it? I was raised in a Presbyterian Church in South Carolina that was built in the 60s and boy did it look like the 60s. Lol
God damn that gothic cathedrals are fucking beautiful
This is such a good perspective for DM when they're doing world building. Or authors or any other creative that is doing world building.
Such an excellent way to describe modern church building while describing the majesty of previous architectural feats. As a former Protestant, I’ve always envied the soul present in many Catholic and Orthodox buildings that ours sorely lacked.
Yeah the beauty of Catholic Churches is hard to ignore (also a former Protestant)
one of the main reasons I did not go fully zero contact with Catholicism is because of the good churches and the good church songs. Sadly, not all churches in my City gives the "holy" ambiance. the most active community we have here don't do their masses inside the church.
Its better to produce Godly people, than magnificent church buildings.
@@lizh1988 that’s why I became Catholic :)
@@BullSheeper I hung on a long time for the beauty, but in the end it was hollow. I was raised in the Catholic church. I went to Catholic schools.
I hope you are truly interested in knowing the Creator, rather than just the creations of men.
A lot of wooden cathedrals and churches were pragmatic too. The Norwegians, for example, had an abundance of wood and were used to wood carving, so it made sense for them to build churches and cathedrals of wood for centuries
Wow some of these are breathtakingly beautiful I really love the idea of nature being a reflection of gods glory like how can you look at the natural world and think anything else
There is a church in the Faroe Islands called Saint Olav’s Church built sometime before the 1200’s. It looks like one of those small wooden churches in this video, but was built by using mostly local stones, since trees don’t grow there.
It’s really small but it’s a really nice church with a lot of history. It was the seat of the Catholic bishop until the reformation, where the Catholic Church was stripped of its “domain” in the area by the Danish king.
The Hagia Sofia is incredible, even after it's desecration
Amen 🙏🏼
@@clangboomsteam How acceptable would it be to take pride in restoring a Church back from a mosque? It'd be forbidden, even on Christian lands in a desperate attempt to not offend Muslims, whom Allah has apparently graced with thinnest of skins, weakest of wills and most desirous of the backsides of smooth skinned lads
@@clangboomsteam how is it shocking?
I'm so glad you randomly showed up on my shorts. Your content is top tier. Thanks!
Me too! Just this morning! I’m now starting to watch all these videos and they’re really really good 😊
Interesting and fascinating observation. Thanks for posting this! 😊
That strip mall church also showcases how many modern churches function like a business 'selling' faith - the dominance of economic issues over theological issues for many churches, and the way that coerces or compels them to function from a strip mall indistinguishable from any other business.
Not true of all churches, not even all with that style, but certainly a consideration for some.
Not to mention that people would work hard on even the small things as another way of showing dedication
My attention is at the altar too. Low church Evangelicals would have their band at the front. But in Catholic Churches, the choirs are at the sides or even at the back, because the center of attention is and should be the Eucharist stored in the Tabernacle.
Then we adorn the surroundings of the Tabernacle with the retablo and the reredos
That's not true about Evangelicals. Some churches may do that, mainly those with smaller stages but other churches still have the choir in the back. More importantly as a Christian you should know God lives inside you. Gone are the days of the Holy Spirit only being inside the altar in the Holy of Holies
@@mustang8206to my understanding, we believe that God is present within us, but only certain aspects of His being. In the Eucharist, He is present in the entirety of his being, body, blood, soul, and divinity. This is why we venerate the Sacrament, because it is not simply God's grace, it is God himself.
@@Jkob712 Amen, brother. Pax tecum!
@@mustang8206 you're setting up a false dichotomy.
Gothic cathedrals valuing light so much they're built around gettinf more of it inside... But the build up of sooton the walls and windows not really allowing much of it in is kinda poetic
“Should we make them out of bricks?”
‘Why? We’ll all be dead soon anyway’
I stand by my belief that religious buildings like synagogues, mosques, temples, and ofc cathedrals etc are some of the most breathtakingly beautiful structures ever
Agreed 💯
In Denmark, most churches have been built after the general idea of a ship. That's not to say that they look like boats, but the terminology for the main parts of the danish churches literally has the word 'ship' in it. And it's not just some fun little coincidence; Some churches even have models of old wooden ships hanging somewhere from the ceiling - it's diffrent from church to church how the recieved them though. One story i was told by a priest once who had visited another church with one of these ships was that the church's ship had been donated by a group of sailors who'd been on that very ship when it went down while out at sea. They were the only survivors and when they eventually made a model replica of their ship they gifted it to the church because the pastor at the time had helped them or something along those lines.
The Basilica near my home town is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my entire life, my uncle is actually a priest there. La Sagrada Familia as well as the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls are both breathtaking as well. The detail that the Architect put into La Sagrada Familia would blow your mind.
Edit: The near in my home town is the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna NY btw.
have you even SEEN the orthodox cathedrals?????? Growing up in Russia, they were stunning, and honestly i was scared to go inside of them as a kid because usually they are really dark inside, they have huge tall ceilings, so many details, so many depictions of different saints, people crying while praying, very loud, kinda scary echoing of singing, smell of burnt wax and smoke, large metal chandeliers, it was just so overwhelming!!!!! I couldn't stay inside for too long because i was too overwhelmed with everything and usually left after just a couple of minutes inside.
I loved the Alexander nevsky cathedral in tallinn and the upsenski cathedral in helsinki, they were both stunning. I am yet to visit Russia however.
It's not dark inside, it's lit with lights and candles. And people don't cry, they sing. I dunno what kind of service you happened to visit as a child, but I am sorry it left you with such an unpleasant impression. Try the Easter Service sometime, you'll see how happy it is.
@@Caledoniadream unpleasant...? what in the world do you mean by that, dark doesn't equal something bad nor does crying during prayer
@xylophone_8888 i got the impression that the person didn't feel good about it
@@Caledoniadream no like, in small villages or towns for example people often go there to pray for their lost loved ones, and in the church close to where i live rn its really dark a lot of time (except for easter or any other holiday when there are a lot of people and so more candles), but there are some quiet churches with good lighting. Its just that the most of which I've been to/ go to are dark and have people crying. Like i remember when my grandmother died my dad took me to a church near his old house and there were a lot of people crying and praying for their lost family and friends.
I just want massive gothic and art-deco projects to come back. I would LOVE to work on a generational project that would shape and house culture for centuries.
... this goes for me too... Amen.
As shown with the cathedral of cologne, we wouldn't need generations to finish them nowadays. It was started 1250 but they run out of money ~200 years later so they didn't finish it's towers for roughly 400 years. After 1800 they returned and finished it in less than 50 years. Nowadays if we really wanted to it would take less than a decade to build one that would outshine all medieval cathedrals. The modern cathedral is f.e. the exploration of the solar system, what indeed requires generations of afford, not one building, no matter how great and complex it is, because with our modern tech it's a piece of cake, compared to the efforts it took our ancestors.
So study hard and you can be part of the construction of our modern day cathedrals. It's not like the buildmasters and masons of the past didn't require a lifetime of training to achieve the skills needed to do what they did.
i love modern and simplistic designs but when it comes to churches and cathedrals i prefer the old ones they have this majestic feel to them
I love this you hit somebody really good points on so many different style of churches
Went to see the church down in the Salt Mine in Krakow today. Insanely beautiful.