dixonbooks.com

Carefully chosen from secular publishing houses as well as those of various denominations, all of our selections are either beautiful books of religious art and/or architecture, or books about making your planned or existing church a work of art.

Click the link above or choose from these categories to begin shopping:

Architecture - glossaries, examples, checklists, photo surveys
Cathedrals & Cloisters - photo surveys of the majestic and the monastic
Church Interiors - fonts, furnishings, vessels, seasonal decor
Icons - history, how to, and examples
Plans & Prayers - pratical and prayerful planning for your church
References - for artists and architects working with churches
Religious Art - beautiful illustrations, serious analysis
Saints & Symbols - dictionaries and picture books to inform and inspire
Sculpture - master craftsmen and monstrous gargoyles
Stained Glass- history and examples of this shining sacred art
Subscriptions - national magazines focused on religious architecture

  
Recent & Recommended

Building a New Church: A Process Manual for Pastors and Lay Leaders
by James E. Healy
Liturgical Press, paperback, 152 pages, $18.95, September 2009

There is an abundance of beautiful books on styles of architecture and worship for churches. While those are fine in theory; this book is pure practice: a DIY instruction manual that covers the nuts and bolts of needs assessment, committee structure, fundraising, design, and construction.

This is a valuable blueprint for all those pastors and church volunteers who find themselves blessed with the opportunity to build a new church, but burdened by too much responsibility and not enough experience. There are full descriptions of the research and planning required, complete with helpful statistical information on results to expect and prudent advice on how to maintain communication and participation among the membership. Links to online appendices of checklists and worksheets make these tools readily available to all parties involved in a particular exercise, helping them to plan well at every phase and thereby save time and money on the entire project.

The author is a Roman Catholic priest who has turned his own experience with a building program into a concise guide for the uninitiated. His perspective is both practical and pastoral, as these seemingly mundane tasks are always made meaningful by an emphasis on the opportunity to build community while constructing a building. Readers of other faiths may stumble over specific denominational terms but the general information is clearly written, well organized, and applicable to any building or renovation project in a worship environment. This handbook also could enlighten architects and artists who serve the church, with some insight into their clients’ needs and expectations, and help all who collaborate on building a new church to share the same vision.

This book review by Annie Dixon appeared in Faith & Form magazine in 2009.

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