Architectural Hierarchy in Religious Structures - Essay Example

Architectural hierarchy, while sometimes disregarded in some religions, is highly represented in Roman Catholicism, and most commonly, in Chinese religious structures like pagodas, temples, and stupas. For example, in Chinese culture, traditional Buddhist architecture varies the structure’s height, color, roof, and shape depending on rank; “The greater the height and slope, the higher the rank”; moreover, courtyard plans and the symmetrical arrangement of religious structures, including statuaries, indicate status and hierarchical order (Nan Tien Temple, “Buddhism and Architecture”). Likewise, in the earliest times, hierarchy in the Roman Catholic churches was employed to distinguish it from other large structures: “The church buildings must be distinct from parish hall, offices, or school” (Alderman, “Heaven Made Manifest”). Historical accounts will show how religious structures in Roman Catholicism and Chinese religions employ a sense of hierarchy in their architecture.

One of the most interesting parts of the architectural design of Roman Catholic churches is how each partition of the church building is ordered according to its purpose and sacredness. Before entering the main interior of the church, one undergoes a juncture or a minute of preparation for the transition from the tedious and disturbing activities of the world to the domain of the holy liturgy (Schloeder 138); "This may take the form of a cloistered atrium or perhaps a parish plaza; in most cases, a simple narthex or a vestibule will do” (138). The significance and relationship among the altar, the priest, and the congregation are manifested in the way church partitions are being ordered. The General Instruction of the New Roman Missal (GIRM 217) asserts that the altar should be placed the highest among everything that is on the pulpit, higher than that of the celebrant’s chair. This is so in that the altar symbolizes not merely a place of Sacrifice but it is a symbol of Jesus Christ (Sacred Congregation of Rites, “Eucharisticum Mysterium”). Moreover, while this arrangement is common in the Catholic Church, it was only ascribed from the early Jewish civilizations. Nevertheless, the practice is still carried on until the present time (Ratzinger 70-71).

Going eastward, just like Roman Catholicism, Chinese temples are also influenced by some traditional and religious beliefs. The prevalent practice of Confucianism in China impacted the way religious structures are designed. In Confucian philosophy, every person must display genuineness and conform to a demanded hierarchy. Furthermore, it stressed the distinction between the influential and the ordinary, the high-ranking and the minor, by the use of manifold aspects that include size, shape, color, and height. Traditional Chinese religious structures are characterized by magnificence in roofs manifested through their height, slope, shape, and color (Nan Tien Temple, “Buddhism and Architecture”). Since Chinese temples, pagodas, and stupas are used to house Buddha statues, they are usually built with lofty heights; this is to imply the supremacy of Buddha as being the Son of Heaven. In addition, raised podiums are provided for Buddha statuary. It is primarily used to form the overall courtyard architectural, symmetrical arrangement of structures: the shrine, the palace, and the surrounding buildings (Nan Tien Temple, “Buddhism and Architecture”). What is more interesting in this arrangement is how hierarchical order is demonstrated through this architectural layout: “a seated Buddha with the Main Shrine as the head, the surrounding buildings as the arms, and the courtyard as the lap” (Nan Tien Temple, “Buddhism and Architecture”). In this arrangement, whoever is at the center is the most important, as expressed in the famous Confucian philosophy of five relationships (Klopf 2). Also, directions have something to do with the arrangement: “Of the five directions, the center is highest in the hierarchy: whoever is in the center, with enclosed space organized around him/her, is considered most important (Wu 30).

With these findings, indeed, religious structures in Roman Catholicism and Chinese religions employ a sense of hierarchy in their architecture. This hierarchical order has been manifested through various architectural formations, compositions, and arrangements. Also, the symmetrical order and hierarchical arrangement of religious structures provided individualistic interpretations of the different traditions, beliefs, and cultures of every country through architecture.