Torgerson begins by discussing God's transcendence and immanence and showing how church architecture has traditionally interpreted these key concepts. He then traces the theological roots of immanence's priority from liberal theology and liturgical innovation to modern architecture. Next, Torgerson illustrates this new architecture of immanence through particular practitioners, focusing especially on the work of theologically savvy architect Edward Anders Sövik. Finally, he addresses the future of church architecture as congregations are buffeted by the twin forces of liturgical change and postmodernism.

Every Sunday we walk through those doors and enter a sacred space. It is familiar, maybe comforting--or maybe not. It might be downright uncomfortable and unwelcoming. What can we do about it? In twelve thoughtful and provocative essays, the writers ask important questions about the relationship between sacred spaces and the worship that takes place in them: -How do our buildings convey a vision of God's kingdom on earth? -How are our places of worship reflecting our beliefs? -In what visible, tangible forms are we proclaiming a faith in the living God? -How are our church buildings helping this church bring the Gospel into a new century?

This visually stunning and carefully researched book encompasses some of the most significant Catholic churches of Chicago, addressing both their architectural and theological significance. Color photographs beautifully illustrate the insightful text. It is a book suitable for those interested in local history, architectural achievement, theological awareness, or those who simply desire to glory in the visual beauty of Chicago's historic churches.

This research project explores the relationship between architecture and its conditioning possibilities particularly as found in two opposing notions of transcendence and immanence. The research begins by considering issues of thinking about architecture and design in these two terms by the means of concepts like Crip-time, salvaging and recovery. Implicated in this framing this project argues design is not purely practice of creation or evolution, but rather it engages with the conflict and strife between them that will eternally return to deficiency - in need, as 'destructive enabling'. Hence, we are always already cripple (deficient) and the practice of 'design' is attending to our Crip-Time. To further explore the concept of Crip-Time in relation to transcendence and immanence, a symbolic figure or rather mythical tripartite narrative is considered, trajectory)' spanning the fall, judgement and salvation, but one that is necessarily complicated by an intermediary)' mechanism of survival and continuance - the Ark prepared by Noah. Forestalling the Omega of fallen time, the ark provides a powerful image of resilience and human endurance in the face of divine will of 'destructive enabling' (the flood). To the extent the Ark amounts to a bridging device that invests hopefully in the continuance of time, it suggests certain non-chronological mechanisms within temporality itself, for which practice of architecture can be thought as an exemplary carrier within the large design agenda where the designer or the architect is closely engaged within insufficient milieu between transcendent and immanent.

Thinking about church architecture has come to an impasse. Reformers and traditionalists are talking past each other. Statements from both sides are often strident and dogmatic. In Theology in Stone, Richard Kieckhefer seeks to help both sides move beyond the standoff toward a fruitful conversation about houses of worship. Drawing on a wide range of historical examples with an eye to their contemporary relevance, he offers new ideas about the meanings and uses of church architecture.

This thesis is an investigation of the natural or bodily-based meaning of architecture, understood in terms of the inherent qualities and relationships that arise out of movement within built environment, and based in a contemporary understanding of the relationship between man and world. This work. attempts a fundamental grounding of discussions of architectural meaning, through the rigorous application of our ever expansive knowledge base onto the realities of building and basic human understanding. Taking from environmental and perceptual psychology, and the cognitive sciences, the intent is to evolve a dialectic between science and contemporary theory that can advance our knowledge for architecture. This investigation of embodied experience revolves around two primary focal points. First, the increasing emphasis on vision and abstract objectivity has limited the range of the meaningful, and has led to a focus on abstract, intellectual meaning; this work. attempts to demonstrate the potential that an interactive and complementary juxtaposition of kinesthetic signification could have. Second, architecture's greatest potency arises when it is considered in terms of the experience of both space and time -- specifically movement and the relationships between spaces that result from this movement. The body may be seen as a "paradigmatic ruler," a measuring tool for spatial experience, which in fact measures the spatially implicit meaning in bodily experience. Thus, this thesis is about trying to resolve the difficult juxtaposition of the transcendent qualities of embodied meaning with issues of time and movement, in order to derive an architecture fundamentally grounded in the body. The thesis surveys a cross-section of research and theory loosely categorized into three realms: embodied understanding, embodied meaning in architecture, and aesthetic issues of time and movement. The intent is to give direction to possible theories of architecture grounded in embodiment. This consideration of embodied meaning does not attempt to suggest an alternative to conscious, culturally-based meaning, nor to perpetuate the mind body split; rather the intent is to offer another frame of emphasis within our consciousness, and indicate the possibilities of the interaction and integral relationship between the intellectual and embodied realms, in designing for the modern world. Thesis Supervisor.

Written at the intersection of culture, politics & the city, particularly in the context of corporate globalization, 'Utopia's Ghost' challenges dominant theoretical paradigms & opens new avenues for architectural scholarship & cultural analysis.