Faith

What makes a construction holy ? Why has mankind been raising buildings to honor gods since ancient times ? Answering these questions would require various volumes and the participation of anthropologists, theologians and historians - and even then many questions would probably still need to be settled. Spiritual architecture, like music, images and prayers, contributes to providing another dimension to the religious experience, to finding peace or a moral path. When religious buildings distance themselves from traditional dogmatic structures, offering free spaces for the interpretation of spiritual affairs, they can become modern and open places that promote dialogue and understanding among believers. This is forcing architects to rethink the uses and functions of new churches and temples and to bear in mind the social changes related with different sects. In this volume we present diverse buildings, including small chapels, large temples where different cults can meet and mediation spaces, which are all places for worship and reflection and which also help shore up the concepts of community and group.