ATSS: Stephen Ferguson, “What Makes a Christian Space Holy?”
5 March 2025 |
Christians spend much of their spiritual lives worshipping in some sort of religious building, which we commonly call a “church.” Huge amounts of time, money, and effort are dedicated to keeping these structures running.
Have you ever paused and considered what makes these spaces sacred, or “holy”? What does sacred or holy even mean, exactly?
If your local church building burnt down, would your church still exist? If a local school or community hall were rented for worship, would it become a sacred space? Does the part of a church building we commonly call the “sanctuary” differ in its sacredness from your church hall, foyer, or even church toilet? Can an online church occupy sacred space?
Why do Christians even call their sacred buildings “churches,” rather than “temples”? What made the ancient Jewish temple holy, and what happened to that holiness when the Roman army burnt it to the ground in 70 CE?
Do Christian ideas of sacredness extend to objects, from communion bread, to relics, to your old church organ? Do certain places, like Jerusalem, remain kind of sacred geography?
Finally, how do people relate to these questions? Can people themselves be considered holy spaces?
Seventh-day Adventists have historically shown some interest in notions of sacred space, especially as they relate to the Jewish sanctuary. Yet, most of our focus has historically been on the sanctuary message connected to events in time, or symbolic and spiritualized architecture in heaven.
However, questions of sacred space here on earth have important and practical consequences. These range from who we welcome through our front doors to how we worship God.
Teacher:
Stephen Ferguson is a lawyer who specializes in planning and development law. Apart from his legal qualifications, Stephen has BA degrees in history and theology, as well as a Master of Urban and Regional Planning. He lives with his wife, Amy, and their two children in Perth, Australia – the world’s most isolated capital city.
Moderator:
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We look forward to getting acquainted with you!
YouTube channel:
You can see all of our previous ATSS recordings here.
Coming up:
- Bryan Ness
- Stephen Ferguson
- Maury Jackson
- Steve Case
- Rolf J. Pöhler
