Excellent4.8 out of 5On Trustpilot
  1. The Church/
  2. Church History

Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses

Anti-catholicism and American Church Designs in the Nineteenth Century

by Ryan K. Smith

  • Paperback
  • 208 pages
  • Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
  • 14 x 21.6 x 1.4 cm

£32.49

Free UK Delivery

Available - Usually dispatched within 5 days

Buying for a school or church? Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account

Free delivery on orders over £10

Crosses, candles, choir vestments, and stained glass are common church features found in nearly all mainline denominations of American Christianity today. Most Protestant churchgoers would be surprised to learn, however, that at one time these elements were viewed with suspicion as foreign implements associated strictly with the Roman Catholic Church. Blending history with the study of material culture, Ryan K. Smith sheds light on the ironic convergence of anti-Catholicism and the Gothic Revival movement in nineteenth-century America. Smith finds the source for both movements in the sudden rise of Roman Catholicism after 1820, when it began to grow from a tiny minority into the country's largest single religious body. Its growth triggered a corresponding rise in anti-Catholic activities. At the same time, Catholic worship increasingly attracted young, genteel observers around the country. Its art and its tangible access to the sacred meshed well with the era's romanticism and market-based materialism. Smith argues that these tensions led Protestant churches to break with tradition and adopt recognizably Latin art.He shows how architectural and artistic features became tools through which Protestants adapted to America's new commercialization while simultaneously defusing the potent Catholic "threat." The results presented a colorful new religious landscape, but they also illustrated the durability of traditional religious boundaries.
Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses and The Essential History of Christianity
The Essential History of ChristianityGothic Arches, Latin Crosses

  • Author

    Ryan K. Smith

  • Book Format

    Paperback

  • Publisher

    The University of North Carolina Press

  • Published

    May 2006

  • Edition

    annotated edition

  • Weight

    291g

  • Page Count

    208

  • Dimensions

    14 x 21.6 x 1.4 cm

  • ISBN

    9780807856895

  • ISBN-10

    0807856894

  • Eden Code

    1159820

Over 14,000 churches and schools have upgraded to an Advance Account and we‘d love to welcome you into this free program. We know that church volunteers and school teachers often use their own money, then have claim it back on on an expense form. We can take all of that hassle away by invoicing your church or school directly and delivering your order straight away.

Opening an account is quick and easy, with most accounts being approved and setup within a few hours of filling in the form below (on weekdays, not weekends). As soon as we‘ve approved the application we‘ll send you an email to let you know that its done.

Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account
Write a review
      Ask a question
      Open Doors Ad