The Encyclopedia of World Religions

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ship and BAPTISM . Unlike the law courts and bath houses, Greek and Roman temples were not very well-suited for such activities. Later cathedrals in many different styles are extremely impressive. Hagia Sophia in Constan tinople (sixth century)—now a mosque in Istan bul, Turkey—is a supreme example of a Byzan tine cathedral. Its massive, central dome seems to float in the air above a lighted, unearthly space. St. Peter’s in Rome contains the chair or throne of St. Peter himself, at least as designed by the Renaissance artist Giovanni Bernini (1598–1680). Built in an early baroque style, the richness of the

important. Architects turned their creative energies to structures like government buildings—think of the Capitol Building and the White House in Washington, D.C.—train stations, theaters, muse ums, and eventually airports, office buildings, and shopping centers. Many of the earliest Christians were Greeks and Romans who converted to Christianity. The earliest cathedrals, however, were not converted Greek and Roman temples. They were inspired by law courts known as basilicas and certain kinds of bath houses. These kinds of buildings allowed Christians to assemble in large groups for wor

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame located in Paris, France, is an example of a Gothic cathedral. Note the flying buttresses (left) supporting the cathedral’s ceiling and walls. (Getty Images)