St Nicholas is a very popular saint in the Orthodox tradition. Every city in Russia has a church dedicated to his memory. This icon of the saint was painted in the 13th century. It is now on display in the Russian Museum in St Petersburg.
Exploring a Place of Worship
The purpose of a place of worship is to help you get a sense of God’s presence and encourage you to respond to God with gratitude, love and respect.
For nearly three centuries after Pentecost, Christians living within the Roman Empire were frequently subjected to brutal persecution for their beliefs. As a result, they had to gather in secret. Usually, they met in small groups at the home of a fellow Christian.
However, in 313 CE, the Emperor Constantine granted Christians freedom of worship. Finally, they could gather in public to worship without fear of harassment. This is why the earliest known churches date from the middle of the 4th century CE.
There are significant differences between the various Christian traditions regarding the layout and the contents of their particular places of worship. Here we shall look at two examples: a Catholic church and an Anglican church.
A church – a place of worship.
For Christians, the word ‘church’ has several different meanings, depending on the context. Here we shall use the word ‘church’ to mean a building designed and used by Christians for the worship of God.
