Church Art

The Church in its primary sense is “the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered” (AC VII; Psalm 149:1).  This means, that above all, the Church is people – believers – who hear the Gospel and use the Sacraments according to God’s Word.  The people of God must meet somewhere, and as the believers in this place and time, our local congregations meet in our local churches.

It has been said that a church interested in proclaiming the Gospel must also be interested in the building itself, which serves as a public witness to why we gather together.  The place of our worship, then, is not just symbolic of God’s presence among us, but is the place where He is really present.  God is truly present here according to His promises (Ex. 20:24; Matt 18:20; Matt. 28:20; 1 Cor. 5:4).  Since God is here keeping His promises and working through His Word and Sacraments, this place for worship is rightly considered “holy,” that is, set apart for devotion.  As such, it is treated with respect and reverence, not in and of itself, but in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ who meets us in this place.

Historically, early Lutherans inherited artwork from the Roman Catholic Church (like other groups of the Protestant Reformation).  Lutherans did not demand a radical transformation, but chose to use what they had to reflect Lutheran belief and practice.  As such, many “Lutheran” buildings and their art continued to resemble their Roman Catholic counterparts in several ways.  Lutheranism’s focus on worship has always been on faithful teaching and preaching and on the right use of the Sacraments.  In these lie the essence of worship – on what God does for us.  Symbols, architecture, furniture, artwork, etc. are then used to communicate and reinforce a theological message – what we believe is reflected in where we worship.

Keeping with the historic church [even King Solomon’s temple had artwork (1 Kings 6:29-36)], many Lutheran church buildings reflect traditional art that focuses our attention on Jesus, the proclamation of His Word, and His Sacraments. There are many forms of art in churches from painting to crucifixes to stained glass windows. Within Christianity, stained glass has been used for two main purposes.  The first is a practical one – to allow light to enter the church building.  The second purpose is practical for another reason – it proclaimed God’s Word.  As with all symbols used in the Church, stained glass windows can be considered the Bible in pictures.  Historically, the symbols and pictures illustrated in stained glass served as a means by which the Word of God could be proclaimed to those who were illiterate or had no access to the Bible.  Still today, stained glass with Christian churches is considered a beautiful, artistic proclamation of God’s Word.

Stained glass has been around since ancient times, and the Christian Church utilized this art form as a method to share God’s Word from the earliest Christian architectural buildings. In early Christian churches of the 4th and 5th centuries, there are windows which are filled with ornate patterns of thinly-sliced alabaster set into wooden frames, giving a stained-glass like effect which can still be seen today.  As a religious art form, stained glass reached its height in the Middle Ages within the churches and cathedrals of Europe (many of which are still preserved today).

In the Romanesque and Early Gothic period, from about 950 AD to 1240 AD, the untraceried windows (windows without stone elements that support the glass and weight of the building wall and/or ceiling) demanded large expanses of glass which had to be supported by robust iron frames. As Gothic architecture developed into a more ornate form, windows grew larger, affording greater illumination to the interiors and more intricate tracery.

A revival occurred in the middle of the 20^th century because of a desire to restore thousands of church windows throughout Europe destroyed as a result of World War II bombing. German artists led the way, many of whom were Lutheran or who had Lutheran roots.

note: post 8/11 adapted from my brother's writings