Message #66078

[Bianca]

The Symbolism Of The Christian Temple





The symbolism of the Christian temple is masterfully described by J. Hani (Le Symbolisme du
Temple Chrétien, Paris, 1978). Hani starts by asserting that "every sacred building is cosmic,
and is made in the image of the world". He quotes St. Peter Damien, who affirms: "the church
is the image of the universe".

The walls and the columns of the church represent Heaven and Earth and, in a way, "a cathe-
dral is a visual encyclopedia illustrating Creation". In no way the temple, Christian or not, is a
realistic image of the Cosmos. It is, far more, a symbolic representation that portrays the inner mathematical structure of the world. The square shape of the Celestial Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12)
— one which many authorities assimilate to the Great Pyramid — is the basic essence of temple architecture. As Hani asserts:

The whole of sacred architecture consists, in reality, in the operation of "squaring the circle",
that is, of transforming the circle into a square. The foundation of the building starts by its
orientation [along the Cardinal Directions], done in a ritual manner... This process is traditional
and universal, and is found everywhere there is a sacred architecture. It has been described by Vitruvius and was practiced in the Occident until the end of the Middle Ages.

Hani then goes on to describing the traditional utilized in orienting the temple and lying its found-
ations. With the help of a gnomon (sundial), the architect determines the two axes of the Cardinal Directions (Cardo and Decumanus). This consists of a stake driven into the soil, to mark the center
of the edifice. The maxima and minima of its shadow determine the axes of the Cardinal Directions.
A circle is traced using the stake as a center, and the two axes serve as its perpendicular diameters. In a way, this operation is a "squaring of the circle", as it combines the fundamental elements of
sacred geometry: the Center, the Circle and the Square or Cross.2

The Circle represents Heaven (the circular horizon) and the Square represents Earth (the crossing Equator and Meridian Zero). So, the Crossed Circle symbolizes the Cosmic Hierogamy, the union of Heaven and Earth. This "squaring of the circle" is a central feature of temples everywhere. In
Christian cathedrals we have the square nave at the center and the round dome or cupola above, representing Heaven.