When you walk into Hallgrimskirkja, it is different than most churches you walk into. You get this combination of seeing all the stuff that is typical in churches – pews, windows, an altar, pulpit, organ, etc.
At the same time, it feels as though you are walking into a large cave, an underground cavern in the earth. In an odd way, it feels like the cathedrals of old – you feel small and insignificant in regards to the whole of creation. The point in earlier times was to focus on humility – you are not the center of the universe. Not a bad thing frankly.
On the day we went in, there was an organ concert. The organ sounded absolutely amazing.
When you go up to the area around the altar, you are treated to a minimalist altar. In a weird way, it kind of makes me think that this is what the chapel on the Death Star might look like. Yet, here we are in a Christian church, worshiping something completely different than what the Sith have faith in.
What goes into a church in important. A seminary professor once said that architecture trumps theology every time. Now I can’t help but think of that every time I walk into a church. I often ask myself, what is the architecture conveying and does it match the theology?
How are the symbols and other features of a church being used to convey the actual theology and beliefs of the people and the church?
