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

Rating:
Summary: Splendidly illustrated and very informative
Review: 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).

Rating:
Summary: Reconnecting with Tradition in a Revolutionary Way
Review: 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.