Architecture and Sacrament: A Critical Theory

David Wang’s Architecture and Sacrament considers architectural theory from a Christian theological perspective, specifically, the analogy of being (analogia entis). The book tracks social and cultural reasons why the theological literature tends to be separate from contemporary architecture theory. Wang argues that retrieval of the sacramental outlook embedded within the analogy of being, which informed centuries of art and architecture in the West, can shed light on current architectural issues such as ＂big box stores,＂ the environmental crisis and the loss of sense of community. The book critiques the materialist basis of current architectural discourse, subsumed largely under the banner of critical theory. This volume on how European ideas inform architectural theory complements Wang’s previous book, A Philosophy of Chinese Architecture: Past, Present, Future, and will appeal to architecture students and academics, as well as those grappling with the philosophical moorings of all built environments.

David Wang is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Washington State University. His previous book is A Philosophy of Chinese Architecture Past, Present, Future (Routledge). Dr. Wang has written and lectured widely on design research. His co-authored text Architectural Research Methods (with Linda Groat) is in its second edition. He is also co-editor (with Dana Vaux) of Research Methods for Interior Design: Applying Interiority (Routledge).