I was honored to be invited to give a public lecture titled “How to Read Sacred Architecture: Reinterpreting Architectural Roots at Jerusalem, Rome, and Salt Lake” as part of the 2022 Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series at Utah Valley University’s Fulton Library. Watch the lecture below:

ABSTRACT: Many sacred spaces have the ability to speak to us, inspire us to act, or even transform our understanding of the world. But have you ever tried to read one of these buildings like a book? Sacred architecture is often described as the built form of theology with multiple layers of symbolic meaning. Any study of architectural history reveals that many of the messages found in sacred spaces share common themes and patterns. In this presentation, we will compare the sacred architecture of three different religious traditions separated by time, culture, and geography. In particular, we will explore ancient Jewish architecture, Early Christian and Roman Catholic structures, and Latter-day Saint temples. While the architectural configurations of each religion are formally and historically different, unexpected similarities become clear when ritual experience, religious ideals, spatial sequence, and cosmic history are compared.

CITATION: Brandon R. Ro, “How to Read Sacred Architecture: Reinterpreting Architectural Roots at Jerusalem, Rome, and Salt Lake,” Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series, Fulton Library, Utah Valley University (November 17, 2022). Available online: https://youtu.be/-urthKneS3k?si=VgSnUhWJKur2Sl8z

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VIDEO PRESENTATION: