Earlier I posted some trial pieces of mathematical symbols in fused glass. These are for a project for my University module (‘Making for a Space, Place or Location’), where I’m designing elements of a secular church.
Why secular? I became angry with religion as a teenager because of the church I attended as a child. They rather unreasonably insisted that their way was the only way. I once said, “Surely heaven is like a mountain peak with many paths leading to the top?” and was told off for blasphemy. So I left. No regrets. Today, I’m proud to be a humanist.
As an adult, I can appreciate the benefits that being a member of a church can bring: a sense of community and belonging for one. Another is having a beautiful place to go for quiet reflection and observing important rituals. My church is about celebrating science, physics and nature. In particular, it’s about the way mathematics is fundamental to everything.
The ‘five’ of the title refers to the characteristics I want my church to represent: Harmony – Science – Nature – Community – Joy. I should probably have include ‘kindness’ as well, but I believe it’s implied in harmony.
Here are some of my preliminary research sketches & ideas for the church. I’m indebted to Neil Stephenson for his novel Anathem, the philosopher Alain Botton for Religion for Atheists and Mirandy Lundy’s Sacred Geometry for inspiration.
