In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Catholic Church Architecture Through the Ages [Paperback]

Michael S. Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2004

Architects, says Rose, have always understood that architecture isn’t inconsequential. Sacred architecture, in particular, has an immense influence on how people think and feel — and even on how they pray and believe. In Tiers of Glory explains why, and it does so from the perspective of history and tradition.

Rose (author of The Renovation Manipulation and Ugly as Sin) here provides a clear, comprehensive summation of the development of Catholic Church architecture from the Church’s earliest days to modern times. He identifies the canons that have been common to Catholic churches throughout history — from Roman basilicas to Byzantine and Carolingian churches, from pilgrimage shrines to Gothic churches, from Renaissance classicism to Baroque opulence — that is, elements that have been common to churches in every age except our own.

Rose details how this organic development has been broken by the banal, uninspiring, and sometimes ugly church buildings of today. But he insists that Catholics need not simply endure these blunders and missteps. With a series of enlightening prescriptions for the future of Catholic church architecture, Rose explains how the Church can restore continuity with the great churches of the past — and why it is crucial to do so.

Gloriously illustrated with over 200 full-color photos and renderings, In Tiers of Glory is a much needed and welcome addition to the literature on church architecture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a very positive and informative antidote to the widely felt distress about church architecture. -- Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers

A brilliant survey of church architecture, one of the best known to me, and also the best illustrated. -- David Watkin, Professor of the History of Architecture, University of Cambridge

Many people have been intimidated by the demolishers of the beautiful. Rose's book may rally sane voices against these deconstructivists. -- George W. Rutler, author, Beyond Modernity

Rose convincingly shows that recent church architecture, forsaking tradition, has failed to be either aesthetically pleasing or conducive to worship. -- Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., Professor, Fordham University

Rose shows the sacred transmitted from generation to generation, linked by what Plato calls "the golden cord of tradition." -- Alice von Hildebrand, author, Soul of a Lion

This richly illustrated book is both informative and inspirational. Architectural history comes alive under Rose's able pen. -- Aidan Nichols, O.P., author, The Art of God Incarnate

About the Author

Michael S. Rose is the New York Times best-selling author of Goodbye, Good Men, and three other books: Ugly As Sin, The Renovation Manipulation, and Priest. Among other controversial issues, he writes frequently and compellingly on sacred architecture. Rose holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (B.Arch) from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts (M.F.A.) from Brown University.

He has worked in the offices of prominent architects in London, New York, San Francisco and Boston. His architectural criticism has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Catholic World Report, New Oxford Review, Adoremus Bulletin, Latin Mass, Sacred Architecture and elsewhere. He is Executive Editor of dellachiesa.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Mesa Folio (November 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967637120
• ISBN-13: 978-0967637129
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,311,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendidly illustrated and very informative, November 17, 2004

By 

D.M. Porphyrios (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Catholic Church Architecture Through the Ages (Paperback)

Michael Rose's In Tiers of Glory is an excellent follow-up to his earlier book Ugly As Sin. Whereas the earlier book delved into the theology and philosophy of church architecture in order to show how it had been derailed by modernists with an obsession with novelty and an aversion to orthodox Christianity, In Tiers of Glory examines the historical aspects of the Catholic tradition in church architecture. Written for the layman, it is amazingly clear, concise and accurate. Chapter 10 on the return of Iconoclasm and the advent of modernism is worth the price alone. Its greatest asset perhaps is that it is generously illustrated with dozens of examples of beautiful church architecture (along with a few warty toads for contrast).

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reconnecting with Tradition in a Revolutionary Way, October 27, 2004

By 

Matthew G. Alderman (Notre Dame, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Catholic Church Architecture Through the Ages (Paperback)

The standard stereotype of history, architectural or otherwise, imagines humanity leaping from one sea-change to the next. In the study of architectural history, one style gives way to the next as each generation of designers seek to outdo one another in the name of progress. However, with <em>In Tiers of Glory</em> Michael Rose seeks to understand not these ruptures but the more important element of the underlying continuity of principle that runs throughout the development of church design. It is this unity which ties the various styles of Christian architecture together like a vast tectonic Communion of Saints. And, as Michael Rose shows us, it is the deliberate rupture of those common elements that stretch across the centuries, done in the name of a false modernity, that has led to the current decadence of sacred art.

Unlike past attempts to reform Christian architecture, art and worship, <em>In Tiers of Glory</em> is not merely revivalist: it proposes no single idyllic golden age of architecture but instead opens our eyes to see the beauties of every age (and the organic continuity which ties them together) and urges us to learn from them, synthesize them, and with these lessons, evangelize the art of the future.

Rose does us a great service by liberating us from the trap of the "spirit of the age" and showing us we can choose beauty over banality. Indeed, as he shows us, many architects already have. In his final chapter, "The Wisdom of Hindsight," he showcases the works of contemporary architects, such as Thomas Gordon Smith and Duncan Stroik, who have drawn on more than two thousand years of experience rather than merely pursue change for change's sake. Magnificently illustrated with color photographs and specially-commissioned watercolor renderings, <em>In Tiers of Glory</em> is not only a joy for the committed architect to read, but also a must for any layperson looking to be educated about the history--and the future--of church architecture.