Description
David Wang’s Architecture and Sacrament considers architectural theory from a Christian theological perspective, specifically, the analogy of being (analogia entis). The book tracks social and cultural reasons why the theological literature tends to be separate from contemporary architecture theory. Wang argues that retrieval of the sacramental outlook embedded within the analogy of being, which informed centuries of art and architecture in the West, can shed light on current architectural issues such as "big box stores," the environmental crisis and the loss of sense of community. The book critiques the materialist basis of current architectural discourse, subsumed largely under the banner of critical theory. This volume on how European ideas inform architectural theory complements Wang’s previous book, A Philosophy of Chinese Architecture: Past, Present, Future, and will appeal to architecture students and academics, as well as those grappling with the philosophical moorings of all built environments.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Architecture in a world of originals
2. The loss of glow: architecture in an age of representation
3. A critique of "criticalist" architectural theory
4. Dwelling in the sacramental zone
5. Sustainable design in the sacramental zone
6. Creativity in the sacramental zone
7. God in the details: sacrament and tectonic jointure
Bibliography
Index
