Task:
You are a guest lecturer at the ANU School of Art and have been invited to present a seminar entitled:
‘Architecture as a tool for transmitting faith”
For your seminar you will be required to compare and contrast the ways in which the architecture of two different places of worship have been used to transmit faith through history. You are required to compare and contrast two buildings which must be from two different religions. There is a list of options below or you may consult your teacher if you wish to go beyond the list.
Christian- St Peter’s Basilica Rome, Chartes Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, La Sagrada Familia
Islamic- The Dome of the Rock, Great Mosque Samarra, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Buddhist- Mahabodhi Temple, Pha That Luang, Shwedagon Pagoda, Buddha Stupa
Jewish- Jubilee Synagogue, Temple Maggiore, Dohany Street Synagogue, Slat Lazama Synagogue
Hindu- Tanah Lot, Brihadeeswarar Temple, Prambanan, Angkor Wat
You may choose to pre-record your presentation or present “live”. If pre-recording you must be present on screen for at least half your presentation. Voice over alone is not sufficient.
Your 6 - 8 minute presentation should:
1. Provide a brief overview of your chosen buildings.
2. Analyse how the sacred space expresses the beliefs, values and traditions of the chosen religion
3. Explore the impact of the historical context on the style, design and key features of the chosen sacred space. To do this, you must ensure you are specific in your selection of architecture within a time/place (e.g. Thai Buddhist temples, post-WWII Synagogues in Australia).
4. Demonstrate engagement with a range of academic sources.
Submission:
On the due date your transcript, presentation slides (including in text-references for your sources) and reference list are to be submitted via Turnitin.
Books on World Religions can be found in the Learning Commons in 291.
Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by 
The New Lion Handbook: The World Religions by 
Sacred Architecture by 
Use your National Library membership to access the online collection of eBooks and journal articles.
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This unique and beautifully shot series explores how six major world religions - Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism - have expressed the spiritual yearnings of the faithful in art and architecture through the ages.
Christy Kenneally begins his journey in Rome where he visits Temple Israelitico, a sumptuous example of Italian-Jewish architecture built in 1904. Christy takes us next to the Cordoba Synagogue in Spain - a humble building, nestling within the walls of the Juderia (the Jewish district) within sight of the Great Mosque - a symbol of tolerance under Islam. In Budapest Christy visits the Great Synagogue on Dohany Street, with its onion domes.
This program visits the Djenne Mosque the largest dried-earth building in the world in Djenne, Mali. From Mali it moves to India to look at the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi. Istanbul, in Turkey where Europe meets Asia became a showcase of Islamic art and architecture, most evidently in the Blue Mosque and the Suleymaniye Mosque. Also looks at Spain and New York.
The Maha Bodhi temple of Bodh Gaya is one of the most important places of worship for Buddhists, marking the holy spot of the enlightenment of Gautama Siddhartha. Next, Christy visits Sanchi in Central Madhya Pradesh, which became the centre of Buddhist art and architecture between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD.
To the Western eye and mind, Hinduism seems exotic and mysterious. Presenter Christy Kenneally begins his journey through art and architecture in the oldest inhabited city in the world, Varanasia, India.
