Housing the Sacred: Religious Architecture in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean

Dear Colleagues,

Religious buildings are often considered the hallmark of sacred places in the past and in the present. They have been considered a highlight of archaeological excavations, and are often the must-see destination for visitors to countless locations across the world. The Eastern Mediterranean is home to arguably the largest concentration of globally-recognized religious buildings, ranging from the prehistoric through to the historic periods. The opportunity to Guest Edit this Religions Themed Issue has provided the impetus for the exploration of various aspects of what underlies the conception of “religious” and “buildings” in the Eastern Mediterranean. Our intention is that papers included in the Issue will explore one or more of the following four thematic frameworks.

We welcome contributions that consider the question of what makes a building “religious.” Does the presence of an altar within a home, for example, impart religiousness to that structure? For instance, are structures built to house the dead, where prayers might be uttered, or charnel houses where the dead might be stored and even worshipped, religious? We believe that investigations of the basic question “what is a religious building?” will lead readers in new directions of inquiry.

Related to this, we wonder if buildings, in some fashion, “capture” the sacred, and even root it in place. Does the construction of a building that is deemed religious then bind that religiosity to place? If not, why not? If so, is it concerning if that building, and therefore that place, falls into disuse? What if the building is destroyed,  abandoned, relocated, or even desanctified? We urge scholars to submit examinations into these concepts of religion as localized in a building and/or a place.

The question of visibility also intrigues us. In order to be religious, must a building be visible to some, or to many, in order to be legitimate? Must the religious aspect of the building be made clear, even if the most sacred facets of it are hidden from view? Investigations into how might this correlate with the notion of “what makes a building religious” described in the first thematic framework above are encouraged.

A final area of interest to the Guest Editors involves the notion of entanglement with the material. What are the other dimensions of “religious” that turn a building into a sacred place/space? How does the architecture interact with other elements of a community’s religiosity? Must the structure be the repository of sacred texts or images, furniture, or altars that proscribe and initiate sacred actions, objects, and items that accompany ritual performances? Contributions addressing questions regarding how the materiality of religious architecture may be inextricably entangled with the perceptions of religious experience will be welcomed.

The contributions to this Themed Issue will take readers beyond the walls that enclose a religious space, seeking to investigate the more transcendent aspects of sacrality situated in the architecture sited across the ancient Eastern Mediterranean.

Dr. Sharon Steadman
Dr. Nicola Laneri
Dr. Marica Cassis
Guest Editors

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• architecture
• archaeology
• eastern Mediterranean
• religious expression
• visibility
• sacred space
• liturgy
• entanglement
• material religion