Each year in the United States, hundreds of religious buildings and schools become vacant or underutilized as congregations and populations merge, move, or diminish. These structures are often well located, attractive, eligible for tax credits, and available for redevelopment. In this practical and innovative handbook, authors Simons, DeWine, and Ledebur have compiled a step-by-step guide to finding sustainable new uses for vacant structures. The reuse of these important buildings offers those charged with revitalizing them an opportunity to capture their embodied energy, preserve local beloved landmarks, and boost sustainability. Rehabbing presents an opportunity for developers to recoup some value from these assets. Neighbors and other stakeholders also enjoy benefits as the historic structures are retained and the urban fabric of communities is preserved.

The sacred landmarks of Cleveland and the surrounding area provide a fascinating array of architectural styles and often serve as visual focal points and social centers in the area’s many ethnic communities. In A Guide to Greater Cleveland’s Sacred Landmarks, author Lloyd Ellis describes the origins of the area’s religious communities, outlines the history of their buildings, interprets their architectural styles, and provides details on significant interior features.

Eric Mendelsohn’s Park Synagogue tells the story of the construction of The Park Synagogue and examines how Mendelsohn consciously sought to express the ideals and traditions of the congregation and Judaism in its architectural forms. From one of the world’s largest copper-clad domes weighing 680 tons to the shape of the sanctuary and spectacular bimah, Mendelsohn sought to incorporate the architecture into Jewish ritual and worship. He favored dramatic curves of glass walls, circular stairwells, and porthole windows, and he used the circle as a dominant form throughout his career. The Park Synagogue is one of the few Mendelsohn buildings that remains virtually as it was built.

In A Higher Contemplation, author Stephen N. Fliegel introduces medieval Christian iconography and its forms, meaning, function, context, and symbolism to twenty-first-century audiences. Serving as a guide to the subtleties, complexities, richness, range, and antiquity of medieval Christian artistic traditions and the multiple levels in which they can be understood, this book will aid the reader in a journey of discovery and understanding of those sacred images. Beautifully designed will full-color illustrations, A Higher Contemplation will appeal to students, teachers, travelers, art lovers, and those with an aspiring interest in the culture of the Middle Ages and the history of religion.

Akron-based architect William P. Ginther (1858–1933) designed sixty-three Roman Catholic churches, primarily in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Dedication is the first book to document his architectural designs. By combining historical images with twenty-first-century photographs, author Anthony J. Valleriano presents the most comprehensive overview of Ginther’s architectural career available today.

This exploration of the artistry of Romeo Celleghin reveals the pressing need to undertake research and documentation of religious and sacred artwork before records and art pieces are lost or forgotten forever. Whitelaw’s discoveries help illuminate the path for others and have not only recovered the beauty of Celleghin’s art, but remind us to be vigilant in honoring and preserving the significant works of art that enhance our houses of worship.

Revelations captures the spirit of the African American worship experience through arresting images of congregants’ facial expressions and body language, their colorful uniforms and dress, and the solemnity of their worship. The images of baptisms, weddings, funerals, Sunday services, and special celebrations are at once serene and exaltant, pensive and inspirational. Revelations honors not only the spiritual dimension of the African American church but the pride and dignity that prevails within the churchgoing family.

Village landmark churches are a unique legacy of the settlement of Ohio’s Western Reserve. The forty 19th century churches in Village Landmark Churches—still found today, although some now serve as solitary sentinels in disappearing villages and communities—were selected because they have significance in one or more of the following dimensions: architecture, history, or their dominant position in their setting.

Author Douglas R. Hoffman explores sacredness in houses of worship and examines the critical question of what architectural elements contribute to make sacred space. His underlying premise is that sacred space, while ephemeral, can be perceived and understood through a careful investigation of its architecture. After laying out the definition and architectural attributes of sacred space, Hoffman examines four contemporary American examples: the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Adath Jeshurun Synagogue in Minnetonka, Minnesota, the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City, and Riverbend Church in Austin, Texas.

With absorbing prose and detailed images, Stephen Fliegel unlocks the secrets of these sacred objects and portrays medieval Christian believers as souls kindred to us—humans striving in their own time to discern and preserve religious meaning and decorum. Fliegel provides a rich, understanding of the allegorical images that helped the church to communicate to the faithful through visual narrative and also provides a rich, textured understanding of sacred art and architecture.