A Historical Church Building

I have become a big fan of NPR (National Public Radio). I get the benefits of talk radio (over crappy music), it is very enlightening, usually pretty balanced, and when it leans to the left I get a glimpse of their point-of-view.

Yesterday, as I was riding home from work I heard a piece on a historic church building in Washington, D.C. – that is, it is historic according to Historical Society standards. You see, this building was designed according to Brutalism. Brutalism was a very popular architectural style in the 1950s and ’60s. It’s ugly nature has left church desiring to tear it down and build a new, more functional building. However, there is a hitch. In 1991 a Historical Society applied to have The Third Church, Scientist designated as a historical landmark. So what does this mean? Simple, the church no longer has the right to tear down their building!

The piece was quite hilarious, I laughed out loud more than once. I think this was my favorite quote:

“Nothing expresses a church’s religious exercise more than its architecture. And this architecture does not express our theology and our exercise. Brutalism is not our religious expression,” he says.

I don’t know much about the “Christian Science” movement and it appears that this group is somehow aligned with the Church of Christ. But we all know what Christ said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, the architectural style of your buildings.” (John 13:35)

Anyways if you want to read the article you can find it here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93844919