Vassallo , JesúsFinley, Dawn2024-05-212024-052024-04-17May 2024Burran, Alexander. a project for: A Mega Meeting House. (2024). Masters thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/116070https://hdl.handle.net/1911/116070EMBARGO NOTE: This item is embargoed until 2024-11-01The megachurch is not a new phenomenon; however, a longstanding Protestant ideal. The ubiquitous American megachurch is the result of Protestant fever of evangelism and mid-twentieth century American social dynamics. While the American church is shrinking these congregations are growing both in number and attendance year over year. The majority of these congregations burdened by their size inhabit architectures such as theatres and warehouses. These architectural types, while well suited for the uses to which they were originally designed, are far from the physical and spatial significance of historic ecclesiastical architecture. Megachurch structures are largely unmotivated by any deep theological thought or reference, instead they simply exist as space to be occupied. This thesis reflects on historic Protestant views on worship and architecture focused specifically on the Dutch Reformed and the Puritan sects. This reflection provides a rubric with which to critique contemporary megachurch architecture as well as a foundation for the proposal of a new typological hybrid for the American megachurch.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.megachurchreligious architecturechurchesprotestant reformationProtestantismpuritanmeetinghouseThesis2024-05-21